My Priest, My Son?
by Grace of Hearts
Summary: Fifteen years ago, Naruto made an unsightly promise to Priestess Shion. The result of that promise came back to haunt him the day of his children's graduation from the academy, and stirs up trouble with his dream of becoming a shinobi. Meanwhile, dark forces from the past are stretching out over the ninja world once again. Could Naruto's priest-born son unconsciously be the cause?
1. Graduation! Is This an Enemy?

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hello, everyone! My name's Grace, and I'm the author of this story. I'm not used to making author's notes, but my very helpful friend Duesal10 suggested I start the habit, so...nice to meet you! (^o^)/  
**_

_**This story focuses less on the Konoha Twelve, and more on their children and students, since it takes place fifteen years after the Fourth Ninja War. I've tried to pace it with action, twists, mysteries, drama, and hopeful messages just like the original show. It's going to have lots of reoccurring themes like friendship and family, and I'm not a huge fan of angst if it's not crucial, so if you like the sound of that, happy reading!**_

* * *

Sakura noticed she'd been tapping her foot and stopped. "Where's Naruto?"

"He told me that he has lost something and went to search for it," Lee explained. He and Sakura stood along with Kakashi, Guy, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, and Temari outside the palace of Lady Shion, the priestess of the Land of Ogres. They were scheduled to depart hours ago, but a certain knuckle-headed ninja was holding them up.

"I think it's best to get going," Kakashi said, eying their shadows as they became more prominent with the rising sun.

"What about Naruto?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru shook his head, as if his own theory annoyed him. "It'd take him two minutes to catch up, knowing that juggernaut." The others went silent with mutual agreement. After waiting a little longer, the band of shinobi gave one more look to the castle before taking off.

Meanwhile, in the guest quarters, Naruto had been reduced to flipping the mats lining the floor. He now knelt in the middle of the mess, tearing at his spiky yellow hair.

"Where the hell did I put that thing? Don't tell me I dropped it in the volcano - or in the lake - but maybe it fell off while I was fighting-"

"Leaving, Naruto?"

He looked to the doorway to find Shion leaning there. She was once again adorned in priestess robes, but no crown rested atop her head this time. Her pink eyes were tight on Naruto, but he didn't seem to notice as he chuckled sheepishly, "Ah, not yet. I lost my-"

"This?" she asked and held out her hand. A crystal necklace was wound loosely around her fingers.

Naruto ogled at it. "Whoa, thanks, Shion! You found it." But when he got up and reached for the necklace, Shion snatched it from his grasp.

She stared at him accusingly. "You're a liar. You were just going to leave without helping me."

"What are you talking about? Give it back." For all his ninja skills and the years he'd spent honing them, Naruto could not seem to catch the necklace from Shion's pale fingers no matter how much he bent and twisted.

"You promised me, Naruto."

"Promised you _what_?"

She squeezed her fists and eyes shut. "To help me pass on my powers to the next priestess!"

Naruto frowned at Shion, feeling the familiar itch of irritation. "Look, not now, okay? Everyone's expecti-"

"Yes, now. I foresaw it," Shion insisted. "It's been the only vision I've ever had that hasn't involved someone dying for me, so it must be heeded. At this time and day, we are to create the next priestess and…" She suddenly looked about the overturned room, intrigued. "Actually, this is the place, too. I'd have wished for a cleaner room, but, beggars can't be choosers."

He watched her, befuddled, as she straightened one mat and settled onto it. "What are you waiting for?" she prompted. "Come on, now, let's get started."

Clicking sounds could be heard within the hollow walls of Naruto's head. The mat, their isolation, "create" a priestess…. Naruto blanched. "Shion…when you say all this, you mean we…we have to…."

"What? Have sex? Of course." She blinked when he let out a strangled yelp. "Do you prefer the term 'make love'?"

Color returned to Naruto, but only the color red, and it covered him head to toe. He pointed at her. "Are you crazy! Doing that…I never agreed to that!"

Shion frowned. "Yes you did. You honestly didn't understand? What did you think I meant, then?"

"I don't know, I…I thought we'd, like…pick a kid from a line-up," Naruto said pathetically. He avoided looking at her at all costs, which included forcing himself to suddenly become _passionately_ interested in the molded ceiling and the stone dragon statue in the corner. Anything but Shion.

"That's ridiculous. It's obvious that I meant to have sex with you."

"Don't say it so casually! On second thought, don't say that _ever_. What's wrong with you? Have you ever done this before?!" he demanded.

"No, but I know the basics." Shion shrugged out of the first layer of her kimono. "Now get down here and take your clothes off."

"This is so wrong!" Naruto turned, necklace abandoned for a chance to escape. He felt two arms sling around his body just as his hand latched onto the door handle. Shion had closed it when she'd come in. Now, he could feel her pressed tightly against him.

She mumbled into his back. "I'm sorry. I know I seem very indifferent about this, but I already saw it happen in my vision. I felt it. It was all so real that to me, it's like we're already lovers; like it's only natural to make love with you." Shion almost said the "s" word but corrected herself quickly. "It's just…I think I'm in love with you, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't speak - his heart was pounding so hard that he was sure if he opened his mouth, only his heartbeat could be heard in his throat. Shion stood on tiptoe and kissed his earlobe. "You love me?" he managed to whisper. He was too afraid to speak any louder lest this moment be shattered by his own voice.

Shion slipped around him, planting kisses along his jaw. "Yes." As she stood in front of him, holding him with her eyes, she swiftly locked the door behind her without his knowledge. She slid her arms up and around his neck slowly, seductively. Naruto's eyes were wide and all he could smell was her perfume. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Shion pressed her lips to his'.

They were statue-still for mere seconds, and then Naruto's breath became heavy. Hesitation obliterated, he grabbed Shion's waist, kissing her deeply. While Shion pulled on Naruto's jacket, he practically ripped off her robes. The shinobi attacked her neck and the priestess gasped at the sensation. The dragon figurine along the wall watched with somber eyes.

**Graduation! Is This an Enemy?**

"Lord Hokage, it's about your children."

"…"

"I'm afraid they've gotten incredibly out of hand."

"…"

"Ms. Megumi has been disrespecting her teachers again while Ms. Kotone and Sosuke continue playing various pranks on the villagers. Inari was with them, though I believe he was only trying to stop their disreputable behavior."

"…"

The shinobi looked over at Hinata, exasperated. "Is he even listening?"

She bowed to the fair young man. "I'm so sorry. Lord Hokage has been held up with paperwork all week, so…."

"But when it concerns the behavior of his children-" The shinobi blinked at the snorting sound coming from behind the Hokage's chair, which faced the window. "Lord Hokage?"

Naruto turned the chair and twisted a pinky into his ear. "Oh, hey! It's you, Yaso. What are you doing here?" The young man grinned, vein on his brow pulsing.

"Oh, you know, same old reason." Yaso strode towards the door and beckoned to someone in the hall.

Four children filed in, all varying in age but somewhat identical to each other. Each had the large white-blue eyes of the Hyuga clan and sported three horizontal lines on each cheek. The rest of their features bounced from Uzumaki to Hyuga. The children stood in a line before the desk, eyes on the floor.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

Before Yaso could explain begrudgingly and for the second time, the eldest child - Inari - stepped forward. "We…that is, Kotone, So-So, and I…. We dropped paint balloons on Yaso-sensei from the academy roof," he said quietly. Orange paint was still drying in parts of Yaso's wavy black hair.

Naruto blinked. "That's all?" The alarmed look on Hinata's face immediately made Naruto glare at his brood. "I mean - I'm disappointed in you three! That was really stupid of you to do, and to a jonin."

"You're not disappointed," the eleven-year-old with long black hair said. Her arms were folded, and her eyes were narrowing. "If you are, you're a hypocrite."

"Megumi," Inari said through nervously-clenched teeth. He glanced at their father's stubborn frown.

Kotone suddenly hopped forward, Sosuke following her like a shadow. "Daddy, it was just a joke! Plus, it was all my idea. So-So and 'Nari were just dragged into it," she insisted. A short tuft of a pigtail bounced on her scalp every time she moved. Megumi stared at it with growing annoyance.

Yaso also glared, but for what Kotone had done to his own hair. "You're in enough trouble, and your siblings are responsible enough to refuse you. You're not as persuasive as you think, y'know." Kotone's pigtail drooped and she stepped back into line. Sosuke, however, ran to Hinata and clung to her silently.

Naruto rubbed his temples. "Every day you guys are in trouble for a different reason... All right. Kotone, Inari, go clean up the paint from the academy. When you get home, no Ichiraku night." Both children looked as if they would die. "For a month." Kotone let out a squeal of pain and fainted. "Okay, maybe just this week."

Inari managed to bow through his trembling. "Yes, sir…."

Megumi smirked with satisfaction. Naruto saw it and scowled. "Megumi, you're not going to the Hyuga estate today."

"What." The murder in her tone was so immediately palpable that Kotone sat bolt upright, shuddering.

"I think I just had a nightmare. Megumi was mad again." Inari knelt beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, though he looked terrified as well.

"Go back to sleep, little sister."

Naruto crossed his arms, as if that gesture suddenly made him invincible to the death aura his daughter emitted like smoke from a chimney. "You've been too lippy these past few days, to your family _and_ your teachers. In short, your attitude really sucks! You're not allowed to visit Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten until you straighten yourself out."

Megumi's face went red with anger, her hair seeming to spike even more like an animal with its fur standing on end. Hinata reached as if to touch Megumi comfortingly, but the girl's wrathful presence frightened even her mother. "Megumi, it's all right…."

"Your graduation is tomorrow, you two," Naruto went on, looking at Inari and Megumi. "You'll be put on teams and given to a jonin, who will train you. You have to work hard. At this age, it's about time you stop being foolish." Hinata and Yaso exchanged looks. As if the Hokage could honestly say he'd done the same.

Yaso bowed to Naruto regardless. "Thank you, Lord Seventh." Tiny hands grasped his head before he could straighten. He blinked at Sosuke, who began picking bright paint from Yaso's hair. Yaso sighed heavily. "I forgive you, Sosuke." The toddler's big white eyes started watering rapidly. "Yes, I mean it. I'm not angry."

Kotone slung an arm around Yaso's lowered neck. "Wow, Yaso-sensei! You're such a nice guy." The raven-haired teen glared at her with great irritation.

"I did _not_ forgive _you_."

Yaso disentangled himself from the seven-year-old girl and left. Megumi stomped out afterwards, holding in her anger like a bomb. Inari came up to the desk, block-like blond bangs hiding his eyes.

"Dad, we weren't trying to hurt anybody. Really. We just wanted to have some fun..."

"I know," Naruto sighed. He looked at Kotone, who puckered her bottom lip pitifully, and suddenly his face became stern. "Okay, here's the deal: get that paint cleaned up in half an hour and _maybe_ I'll let you have Ichiraku tonight. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance here. Your thirty minutes starts n-"

Kotone's silhouette hung in the air many seconds after the door had slammed shut. Hinata straightened her windblown hair and Sosuke sat up where he'd been toppled over, dazed.

Naruto held up a limp finger, stunned. "…ow," he finished awkwardly.

Showing off an Uzumaki smile, Inari accepted the challenge and ran to join his youngest sister. The Seventh Hokage groaned like a bear and leaned away from his desk.

"You should go to bed early tonight," Hinata said softly.

"Can't. Meetings, mission distributions, Inari's and Megumi's graduation…." Naruto let his head fall without resistance, making a loud 'thud' on a stack of papers. "Just one of those days, y'know?"

Hinata looked at her husband with worry. Naruto had been having "one of those days" for weeks now. He never outright complained, but it was clear that the recent drop in graduation rates and the declining number of new genin were running him ragged. Without those rookies, menial D-ranks were left to shinobi who belonged doing A- and S-level missions. Jonin and chunin were being assigned to rescue lost puppies and weed out gardens. Hinata could only imagine the constant bickering Naruto had to sit through day after day.

She smiled, now, petting his spiky hair that was deceivingly soft to the touch. "You're working so hard, like always. I admire you for that."

Naruto peeked out from under his bangs with a grin. "I couldn't stand disappointing you, Hinata." He pulled her into his lap without warning and kissed her. Before they could get into making Uzumaki child number five, Sosuke suddenly came over and squeezed between them to sit on Hinata's thigh. Naruto squinted at him. "Oh, look, the jerk."

Hinata laughed, pulling Sosuke close. "A cute one, at least." Naruto had the expression of a puppy denied his treat and his wife giggled more. "Later, if you have the energy."

The Hokage grinned vivaciously. "I'll have the energy if it means spending it with you," he purred. Hinata smiled coyly and blushed.

Sosuke pinched Naruto's nose between his tiny knuckles, face pugnacious. "No way, brat," Naruto said firmly, voice distorted from his son's fingers. "No interruptions tonight. N. O." Hinata shook her head fondly and carried Sosuke out so Naruto could work. Their youngest scowled at his father the whole way.

* * *

Someone in a blue hooded jacket came to a stop in the forest outside of Konoha. He reached out and leaned on a tree with his hand, wheezing. The sun was just breaking through the leaves to shed orange light over him.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle pierced his ears. He gasped, pink eyes rounding as his head snapped up to stare at nothing. Then his eyes began to glow and form kaleidoscope symbols that spun in his irises. The small flute tied to his outstretched wrist didn't stir, but he could clearly hear its tone.

That single note brought him out of his body so he could look down at his powder-blue hood. He felt himself become the breeze, weightless and without form. He was pulled away by an unknown force through the air in gentle curves and weaves until he was on a wide dirt road. Before him stood two giant green doors, the entrance to a village within towering walls. He had just enough time to recognize the place before he flew backwards, abruptly sucked back into his body.

He gasped again, staggering, but otherwise he kept his ground. A few deep breaths later and he grinned. He threw off his hood, platinum-blond hair springing up in disorderly spikes.

"Almost there…Dad."

* * *

"Nanami!"

A girl with bobbed golden-brown hair appeared at the top of the stairs. "What!"

"Don't 'what' me! You'll be late if you don't have breakfast now."

Nanami puckered her brow. "I've been ready for ten minutes now, Mom!"

"Well, your lazy brother was down here before you; hurry up."

A black ponytail protruded from the kitchen table when Nanami got there, and it was snoring. She narrowed her eyes at it as she entered the room. "Uh-huh. Real early bird."

Temari promptly whacked her eldest with a spoon. "Shikatsuro, I won't have that. Get your breakfast."

"But Dad's not up yet, either," he insisted with a mumble.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Their mother smiled, but her green eyes were vicious. She handed Shikatsuro the spoon and stalked out of the kitchen. "Honey~" she called sweetly. Nanami said a quick prayer for her poor father.

Shikatsuro yawned as he plucked pieces of rolled omelets onto his plate. "Why do I have to get up early anyway? I don't have academy today."

"It's my graduation," Nanami said proudly where she sat at the table. Her brother gave her a flat look and her smile vanished. "What?"

"I'm waiting for the real reason I got out of bed this morning."

"That _is_ the reason, couch potato."

"Good night."

"Don't sleep on the stove!"

He frowned irritably, pouring sauce into a dipping cup for his omelet. "But why do _I _have to go to your stupid graduation?"

Nanami turned up her nose. "I wouldn't expect a failing student to understand." Shikatsuro flinched like he'd been stabbed, back to her. "I guess it would be tough mentally, though. If my twelve-year-old sister beat me to being a genin, I'd want to stay away, too." Another stab. "I'm so glad I got Dad's genius instead of Uncle Kankuro's stupid, like you," Nanami sighed airily.

The infamous spoon embedded into the kitchen table an inch from Nanami's fingers. Shikatsuro's eyes were green pools of fury.

"Say it again, and the hand comes off."

She peeked from her hiding place behind her chair, nodding quickly. Shikatsuro looked almost identical to their father, and it was true that he had the same lack of motivation and love for naps. However, the combination of Shikamaru's irate mother and passionate wife had created a short-fused monster. Temari's personality was painfully evident in the fourteen-year-old's quick temper. Nanami always used her God-given intelligence to know when her teasing would earn her a beating. Right now, it told her to shut her mouth and remain still - Shikatsuro lost track of immobile objects when he was angry.

Shikamaru joined them a few minutes later with several lumps on his head and a pregnant Temari following cheerily behind him. After wolfing down her breakfast, Nanami grabbed her new headband and tied it to her forehead, fluffing her bangs with pride.

She kissed Shikamaru's temple. "Bye, Dad."

"We'll see you at graduation," he replied. Nanami's brother bent his fork with the press of his thumb. She carefully skittered around Shikatsuro and hugged Temari.

Nanami pecked the bulbous stomach of her mother. "Please be a kind, gentle little sister? For me?"

* * *

The morning was cool and crisp. The streets of Konoha were mostly empty save for the few shinobi wandering about and the store owners opening their shops. Nanami breathed in the beginnings of fall with great excitement.

_This is so cool! As of today, I'm a genin. I wonder what team I'll have? Who will my sensei be? I hope Megumi won't be on my team - she's kinda scary. And Kumamichi would be a living hell. _These thoughts dampened her spirit a little so she squeezed her eyes shut and sent a quick prayer: _**Please**__ let me be with Subaru or Inari or anybody without a short fuse!_

Nanami ran into someone, then, when her eyes were closed. She caught herself, but the other person dropped without resistance. She hurried to his aid. "Oh man, I'm so s-" Her words caught in her teeth as she puzzled his features. "…I…Inari?"

The boy she'd knocked over had blond hair and whisker markings on his face, but he was much older than Inari. Plus, his hair was lighter and wasn't straight like the Hokage's eldest son's. And then there were his eyes…. Nanami felt herself shudder. His eyes were blank, just magenta orbs swimming with symbols. He wasn't moving.

She clutched her head. "Oh sweet God, I killed him." Nanami knelt down and started shaking his shoulders. "No, no, no-no-no-no-no. Don't be dead, please. Uhh…doctor, I need a medic!" she said frantically.

Her wrist was caught before she could get up again. "Hey, wait. I don't need a doctor." The teen was conscious, looking at her with those big pink eyes as he held gently onto her hand. The dancing symbols had vanished.

"Who…who are you?" Nanami asked.

"My name's Hoshu. Are you a Leaf ninja?"

She blushed despite herself, adjusting her headband. "As of today, I am…."

"Maybe you could help me, then," Hoshu said, letting her go and sitting up. The thin tail of hair at the base of his neck jumped as he looked up at her earnestly. "Could you take me to see the Hokage? I've come a long way. I mean, well, it's really important that I get to see him."

"Uhh, I have to get to the academy before I'm late. And I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Nanami said slowly.

Hoshu wilted. "Oh. Sorry."

Her already-weakened resolve wavered at the disappointment on his face. She bit her lip, imagining how angry Shikamaru would be if he knew she'd been alone with a stranger. A young, handsome, _boy_ stranger. At the moment, though, he seemed more like a big lost puppy. She waved the angry-father image away. "Lord Hokage will be at my graduation, though. You can come along to meet up with him."

"Really? That's perfect!" Hoshu's eyes were pink fireworks as he hopped to his feet, which Nanami noticed were bare and calloused. He offered a hand to help her up. "Lead the way, Ms…?"

"Nara. Nanami Nara."

"That's a lot of 'na's," he noted, seeming impressed by the amount. "Okay, lead the way, Ms. Nara."

Nanami walked ahead as Hoshu followed. She saw from the corner of her eye that he was looking around at the village with a mixture of awe and unease. _Dad would _kill_ me if he ever found out about this…._

* * *

"So Lord Hokage grounded you from training with us yesterday?" Sho asked.

Megumi leaned against the wall beside their classroom door. She had her arms crossed, ducking her head so her hair hid the red in her face. "I'm sorry; my father was being dense. But, I'll definitely train with you tonight," she assured him quickly.

Sho frowned a little. "Lord Hokage…. Maybe he was just trying to teach you something. I'm sure that's what he wanted." This earned him a signature Megumi glower.

"Teaching me to be less _Hyuga_. He wants all his kids to use that ridiculous Shadow Clone Jutsu, and that clumsy Rasengan, and don't even get me started on those perverted techniques. I want to learn the Hyuga way and he won't let me. My Byakugan isn't even active yet." She dug her nails into her bicep. "I hate being an Uzumaki," she growled.

The boy dropped his gaze to their feet. Because Hinata was head of the Hyuga clan, any child born from her and the Hokage were automatically honored as part of the main branch. Sho and his baby sister, on the other hand, were only cadet branch like their father. This being so, Megumi often idolized Neji and Sho as if their roles had been reversed. It was uncomfortable for Sho to have a main branch member think so highly of him.

The bell rang, and Megumi hurried into the classroom without looking back. _She really is upset._ Sho sighed and tightened his forehead protector before heading inside.

Nanami yelped a little when he almost collided with her. "Ah, sorry!" She smiled sheepishly. "Big day, huh?"

"It is," Sho said politely. His eyes flickered to Hoshu, who stood behind her and studied Sho curiously. "Er…?"

"Oh, right. Hoshu, this is Sho Hyuga; he's graduating with me. Sho, this is Hoshu…something. He wants to-"

"My mother talked about someone like you," Hoshu blurted suddenly. He paused, then pointed at Sho excitedly. "Yeah! Big white eyes, long brown hair, really collected - I think she said his name was Neji-something or other."

"Neji Hyuga is my father," Sho said, looking at Nanami. She shrugged helplessly.

Hoshu hit his palm with his fist. "That was it, Neji Hyuga! Wow, it's so weird. It's kinda like good luck, us meeting like this," he laughed.

Sho blinked calmly. "I'm sure it is." Then he abruptly grabbed the shoulder of Nanami's mid-drift jacket and lugged her into the classroom, slamming the door shut in Hoshu's face. "Why is that man following you?" Sho asked her sternly. His exterior was calm, but she could see the alarm whirling in his intense eyes.

Nanami walked over to sit at the end of a table, Sho settling for a seat just across the aisle. "I don't know! I knocked him over on my way here and he asked me to take him to the Hokage."

"I've never seen him in the village before."

"Neither have I. You think he's after Lord Hokage?" Nanami whispered.

Sho chanced a furtive look back at the door. Hoshu was ogling into the room through the small window with no attempt at stealth whatsoever. "Either he's an extremely talented assassin, or a complete idiot. It's best if we tell someone he's here, though. We'll inform the Hokage as soon as we're released to go meet our families." Nanami nodded dutifully.

"Alright, kids," Iruka said, standing at the front of the classroom. His brown hair was peppering with gray from the years of teaching immature children to be semi-mature genin. "First of all, congratulations on making it to genin. You've all worked very hard to come this far. However, your work isn't over yet. I can take those headbands back as easily as I gave them to you." He took a moment to grin at the gasps of horror. "You'll be assigned to three-man cells, then you'll be given a jonin to train you. If that jonin doesn't think you're fit to be genin, it's back to square one. But first, after your teams are announced, you'll go outside for the graduation ceremony."

He beckoned at Yaso, who stepped forward with the team lists, and a collective sigh issued from all the girls. Yaso Yuhei was fifteen and already a jonin, a genjutsu wielder rivaled only by his mother, who had also gifted him with beauty. He was the classic case of a genius heartthrob. Nanami gazed at him with an enraptured smile.

"Team One," Yaso began. He read down the list, mixed reactions occurring as genin got their dream team or their living nightmare. "Team Four," he said now, "Naoki Akimichi, Subaru Inuzuka, and Mamoru Haruno."

Naoki turned to his twin, who mirrored his anguish. Separated. How could they go on like this? Subaru huffed indifferently and the brown puppy on his head grumbled in sleep. Mamoru looked up from his one-handed push-ups, but like always, his face was void of emotion.

Yaso smiled at the lack of complaints. The female genin nearly died holding in their squeals. "Team Five: Kumamichi Inuzuka, Naoto Akimichi, and Megumi Uzu-"

_**CRACK!**_

"Er…Megumi Uzumaki…."

Megumi removed her fist from the crater in the table, anger not receding. The students around her scooted away from the sheer blood-lust shrouding her being.

Naoto shuddered at his fate while Kumamichi smirked. The beagle puppy in his shirt barked nervously. "We got the wannabe Hyuga, Myu," Kumamichi cackled under his breath.

"Team…Six." Yaso rolled his scarlet eyes at the interruption. "Inari Uzumaki, Sho Hyuga-"

_**WHAM!**_

"…and…Nanami Na-"

_**Wu-BAM!**_

"Megumi, stop it. The desk is in pieces," Iruka scolded.

Nanami felt a presence whose heart beat only for her blood and she stiffened. She glanced warily at Sho, but he only shook his head.

Inari looked back at Megumi as she sat with her head bowed before the ruined table. He knew her heart was breaking even though others thought it to be monstrous moodiness. The eldest Uzumaki had the ability to spot love a mile away, and he knew his sister really liked Sho. Having a sweet blonde with top grades and intellect on Sho's team while Megumi was left in the dust was a real kick to the heart. Inari knew he could say nothing without getting his throat stomped in, so he turned to gaze woefully out the window.

Yaso grimaced. _That better not be my team…._

Somehow, the rest of the class was compiled into teams and the children were marched out to greet their families and acquire their sensei. Hoshu was still in the hallway, and he put his hand on Nanami's shoulder as she left the classroom. His face was pinched with worry. "Ah, Ms. Nara, seeing the Hokage's pretty urgent."

She pulled out of his grasp. "What's so important that you need to see Lord Hokage this instant, anyway?" she demanded. Sho and Inari hung back, the former intent on the answer while the latter simply waited out of manners.

Hoshu looked as if he was being ambushed - and then his eyes landed on Inari. The younger boy only blinked but Hoshu almost seemed to get sick.

"Are you the Hokage's son?" he asked miserably.

"Yes, I am. Do you need something from my father?" Inari felt Sho take his arm, and he watched with puzzlement as the Hyuga boy sent Hoshu a blackened glare.

"Let's go. Nanami." She sent the teen a look before hurrying to walk with her new team. Hoshu remained in the hall and watched them go. He particularly stared at the yellow spiral on the back of Inari's tan and blue jacket. Hoshu gritted his teeth in rage.

* * *

Naruto stepped back from his speech of congratulations and welcomed Inari over with a high-five. "Man, am I proud of you! I'm glad you graduated, too," he added as Megumi went to stand at attention beside Hinata. "You guys are developing so fast. Pretty soon you'll be the strongest shinobi in the Leaf. Who knows? You might surpass me some day," he chuckled.

Megumi glared at her feet and let her accursed hair hide the tears in her eyes. _I'm counting on it._

Naoto and Kumamichi stood a little away from the Hokage's family, and the chubby boy looked frightened. "Ms. Megumi doesn't look happy to have us on her team…."

"What, are you kidding?" Kumamichi snickered. "This team's the best! Oh, the fun we'll have with that stick-in-the-mud, eh, Naoto?" He gave his new teammate a jab in the ribs with his elbow and Naoto winced and rubbed its soreness miserably. Myu whimpered at her master's eagerness to cause trouble and cuddled further into his shirt. The two boys avoided Megumi for now and ran for their families.

Choji, Ino, Sakura, Lee, Kiba, and Ayumi gathered around their children excitedly.

"You did it, Mamoru! That is my boy. Look at you; the exuberance of youth is practically radiating off of your body," Lee exclaimed.

Mamoru blinked apathetically. "It is?"

"Blindingly so!" The man knelt and took both of his son's shoulders. "The fiery passion in your eyes is what makes you my beloved son!" Suddenly, a fist crashed into the top of Lee's head and the jonin fell unconscious. Sakura glared down at him.

"I told you not to say that in public!" she hissed. Mamoru looked blankly down at his wounded father until Sakura embraced him affectionately. "We really are proud of you, Mamoru."

"…Thanks."

"Don't cause trouble for your teammates," Choji coached his twin sons. Ino was too busy still reveling in the fact that Sakura had spawned a child with the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha. "Be kind to them; help them out. It may be tough at first, but soon you'll all form an unbreakable bond with your team, one that can never be broken. Take a look at me - my teammates ended up being the love of my life and the best friend I ever had."

Naoto nodded solemnly, but his brother looked over his shoulder at his own new teammates. "Does that mean I have to marry one of those guys?"

Choji wiped his face with a meaty hand. "Naoki, shut up." Naoto itched the back of his neck, glancing warily in Megumi's direction as if she had eyes in the back of her head.

Meanwhile, Subaru punched his father's fist after Kumamichi's turn. "Ukyo says this is stupid." The brown dog blending into his hair harrumphed with approval.

"It isn't, Subaru," Ayumi insisted. Kiba folded his scarred arms.

"Your mom's right. Every ninja's put on a team. If you can't work with others, you can't be a shinobi. Ukyo can keep his negative comments to himself."

Akamaru set Ukyo in a dominant glare and the pup growled, squeezing himself into a tighter ball. Subaru sighed heavily. "Yes, sir."

"I'm looking forward to working with my team," Kumamichi yipped. Naoto shook his head wearily. Was he really going to be okay with a half-crazed animal and a wrathful woman on his team?

Sho and Nanami approached the Hokage and his family now with purpose. Nanami hid behind her new teammate to avoid the death stare of Megumi Uzumaki. Naruto noticed them and grinned. "So, you guys are Inari's teammates? It's good that you all know each other. I expect you three to work well together."

"Lord Hokage, there's a strange person asking around for you," Sho began.

"Strange person? Like what?" Naruto's blue eyes were bright with a curiosity that conflicted with the fact that he was over thirty years old.

Nanami took it from there, explaining how she'd run into this stranger who called himself "Hoshu". Naruto's face grew grim.

"It's probably nothing, but I'll have some jonin look out for the guy. What does he look like? What's he wearing?"

"Well-"

"There he is," Sho hissed, tensing. Hoshu was leaning against the tree on the edge of the academy yard. He was in shadow, and the swing beside him moved creakily in the breeze. Sho's special eyes could have spotted him if Hoshu had been in complete darkness.

Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, and Temari arrived to meet them, tiny Chinatsu seated on her mother's hip and lanky Shikatsuro dragging his feet behind his father. "Is something wrong?" Neji asked.

Naruto narrowed hardened eyes at the silhouette. "There might be. I'll be right back." Hinata took her husband's shoulder and shook her head.

"You're the Hokage and he wants you. Send someone else," she reasoned.

"We'll go," Shikamaru said, glancing at Neji. The Hyuga jonin gave a curt nod. "We'll take him to the interrogation facility."

"Daddy," Chinatsu murmured. Tenten held her closer and cooed soothing words to her daughter.

"Do we know if he's a shinobi?" Neji asked.

Nanami shook her head, beginning to sweat at the thought of actual danger. "He never said anything about it, and I haven't seen him use…." Her green eyes widened. "No - when I bumped into him, his eyes had these weird symbols swirling in them, like a kaleidoscope."

"You talked to him?" Shikamaru asked, voice sharp. His daughter suddenly forgot her fear of Hoshu as the possibility of being grounded forever loomed over her.

"Come on," Neji ushered, sparing Nanami for now. The shinobi pair moved swiftly around the crowd towards Hoshu, who made no sign that he acknowledged their arrival. The group of parents watched tensely, Naruto especially on edge. Sho and Nanami exchanged looks. Although the boy was much more calm about it, both feared for their fathers' safeties. Shikamaru and Neji stood before the teen cautiously but with authority.

"What's your purpose here?" Shikamaru asked.

Hoshu took his hands from his pockets and shrugged off of the tree to face the jonin. His eyes were filled with dull anger. "I want to see the Hokage." His voice sounded strangled.

"You'll have to come with us before that happens," Neji said.

"He's right over there." Hoshu's pink eyes shot to where Naruto stood with his family. "I only need a few minutes with him."

"You either cooperate, or we do this the hard way," Shikamaru said sternly.

"Try me," Hoshu snapped. He reached for something in his pocket - and gasped. Neji had been prepared to take a shot at his chakra points, Shikamaru kneeling to create a Shadow Possession Jutsu, but now they stopped. The teen gaped into the distance as his eyes started glowing a stark rose color. He dropped onto his side without protecting himself from the fall.

Neji crouched by him cautiously, Byakugan active to catch any sort of trick. What he saw instead made his insides twist. He reached down and grabbed the thing Hoshu had tried to take out of his pocket, and he stared at the square of paper, face ashen. He looked back at Naruto, who gave him a look that brooked an answer for the strange behavior occurring across the field. The veins receded from Neji's eyes and he looked up at the puzzled Shikamaru. "Let's get him to interrogation."


	2. Teams from Hell! Father and Son Clash!

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I had a lot of fun making everyone's personalities. That and deciding who would be on whose team. So many combinations... But in the end, I think this arrangement works best.**_

_**On that note, MURAI STOP BEING MEAN TO INARI I HAPPEN TO LIKE THAT ONE. (*｀へ´*)**_

* * *

Hoshu heard the peal of the flute on his wrist, but instead of detaching from his body, he felt himself being dragged deeper inside. Light was quelled, form lost meaning, and yet he felt like he was choking on smog. Something like heavy, hot steam was filling his lungs and he couldn't breathe. His vision turned red for a brief moment before a malicious, canine face appeared before him. Its jaws opened to devour him whole.

"NO!" He was thrown back into his body to find himself sweating and heaving for breath. His body jerked upright from a patch of dirt in a cell carved crudely from a stone wall. He looked through the bars, the only light being the candles lining the walls. His arms were bound in a straight jacket.

Heart calming, Hoshu leaned his head back against the crag wall. "It's worse," he breathed.

"You're no shinobi."

He started at the voice only to find Neji standing before his cell. The man's light blue eyes were void of emotion while his face showed stone-like resolve. "Your chakra current hasn't been opened, not once. You couldn't be a ninja without an activated chakra system. However…there's a malicious power dormant in your current, one I've witnessed before."

Hoshu turned away from Neji as if that would make him disappear. Neji took a piece of paper from his sleeve and slipped it through the bars so it landed at Hoshu's feet. "Who are you." The teen seemed to deflate. Then he started talking.

**Teams from Hell! Father and Son Clash!**

Mamoru, Naoki, and Subaru stood in line before their new sensei. The pink-haired boy looked on with slight curiosity and Subaru stared off into the distance, but Naoki portrayed enough disgust on his face for the three of them.

"Oh _hell_ no."

Lee threw a few punches at the air with great excitement. "YES! This is amazing! I have been graced with the opportunity to train my own son to be a shinob-" He was abruptly put into a headlock and couldn't continue.

"I said _don't say that in public_," Sakura snarled.

Ino cackled from her place in the parents' section, doubling over and almost on the ground. Kiba raised a hand at the pink haired kunoichi slowly. "Uh, Sakura, it's not like it's any secret that Lee's Mamoru's father, y'know." He flinched when green, hawkish eyes pierced him.

Subaru closed his eyes, huffing. "This is so stupid."

"Why does it have to be _your_ old man?" Naoki demanded Mamoru. Big black eyes turned slowly on him, unblinking.

"The decision had nothing to do with me."

"Well do something about it!" The Akimichi child had heard the horror stories about Rock Lee's murderous training regiments, the personal, insane punishments he would put on himself if he lost a game he'd made up himself. Legend was that Might Guy was even worse. Naoki shuddered as he imagined the hell in store for him.

While Mamoru and Subaru followed their new sensei, the former dragging a dazed Naoki, Team Five stepped forward. Naruto stood with unusual soberness at his place near the pending jonin. He looked back at Tenten and Temari, the women exempt from being chosen because of their maternal duties. Tenten locked eyes with him as she held Chinatsu. She worried about Neji being alone with the intruder, but Naruto more so worried about who this intruder was. What enemies did he have now? Akatsuki was non-existent, Kabuto Yakushi was dead along with Obito Uchiha. Ever since the Fourth Ninja War had ended, every land had been in peace with each other. Maybe it was just some random attempt at his life, a rogue trying his hand at assassination. Naruto tried to pay attention as his daughter and her new team stepped forward.

Kotone tugged at Hinata's sleeve. "Is this going to be all right?"

"Of course, sweetie. Megumi is a strong girl. Even if she isn't sociable, she'll be able to adjust." The little girl swallowed hard.

"I wasn't worried about her."

Iruka looked at the paper he'd drawn with a puckered brow, looking from it to the team before him. Naoto shuffled nervously but Kumamichi grinned from ear to ear, and Megumi just glared at Iruka. "Team Five's sensei from now on will be Botan Mitarashi."

All any man saw walk out to greet the genin was a pair of legs concealed only in fishnet and a headband tied around the left thigh. Botan Mitarashi stood before her new students, fifteen-years-old with a body that made grown men cry for her young age. She wore a Leaf flak vest, very short shorts, and practically nothing else. Naoto almost fainted and Kumamichi's wide grin got even wider.

"Hi! I'm Botan, but you can call me Bo-sensei," Botan said with a wink.

Naoto raised his hand abruptly, speaking in a rush. "My name is Naoto Akimichi, I like potato chips and barbecue pork-" He was shoved violently aside by an exuberant Kumamichi.

"I'm Kumamichi Inuzuka, I'm a solid twelve, and I'm the cutest kid you'll ever lay your eyes on."

Both Kiba and Choji covered their faces in shame at the same time. Ino was fuming in her seat, and Naoki wasn't much better. The difference in the siblings' luck with their sensei was so severe that he nearly got up to choke his twin brother.

Botan left to clear the way for more genin, Naoto and Kumamichi following her like flies. Myu hopped out of her master's shirt with a growl and trotted behind rather than be near his hormones. Megumi walked slowly after them all, eyes murderous. Hinata felt Sosuke squeezing her leg in a death embrace from fear. "Okay, I see your point," she told Kotone, whose pigtail wiggled as she nodded rapidly.

Nanami stepped up to the waiting spot with Inari and Sho, heart pounding. She'd gotten good luck, being assigned placid teammates. Now, though, was the final test. She looked amongst the jonin gathered there, praying, hoping for a person sensible and decent, someone unlike Rock Lee and Botan Hatake.

"Team Six's sensei will be…Nichiren Murai."

A man shouldered his way from the pit of the crowd of jonin, and Nanami's prayers were smashed into insignificant pieces. Nichiren Murai was a bum. Hair like bed-head, eyes bland, the only personality in his standard Leaf ninja uniform being the blue tattoo of leaf designs on his neck. As he sauntered up to the three genin, the sharp smell of onions laced the air.

"Murai-sensei's fine," he roughed, voice deep and grating.

"Ah, I'm Inari Uzum-" Inari's friendly introduction was cut off when Murai simply turned and tromped out of the waiting area. The blond boy looked at his teammates. Nanami sympathized and Sho just shook his head with disappointment.

Naruto watched Murai lead his son and his teammates away, and then felt a presence next to him. An AnBu member signaled for him to follow, and Naruto complied instantly. Hinata petted Sosuke's head as she watched her husband leave the ceremony earlier than was customary.

* * *

When Naruto descended into the holding cells below the interrogation building, he spotted Neji leaning on the wall opposite a particular cell. Naruto hurried over to get a look at the intruder. All he saw was a bowed head of light blond hair.

"So what's his deal?" Naruto asked.

Neji looked at the AnBu instead, face stern. "Let him out. He's no threat."

"What?" The Hokage watched in disbelief as the teen was being untied from the straight jacket. "Well if he's not a threat then who is he? Where'd he come from?"

"You should be familiar with that." Naruto blinked at the disapproval thick in Neji's tone. "We'll leave you two to talk it over," the Hyuga said as he beckoned the AnBu to leave with him.

"W-Wait a minute," Naruto protested weakly, but Neji and the AnBu were gone. The Hokage turned back to the younger man, whose head was still inclined. They stood there in silence for a minute or two. "Er…so…you wanted to see me about something?"

"I'm your son."

"Huh?"

The teen looked up through spiked bangs, the thin black lines prominent against his pale cheeks. "My name is Hoshu, and I'm your son," he growled.

Naruto stopped, looking over Hoshu clearly for the first time. Then the Hokage frowned. "That's impossible; don't waste my time," he said, waving a hand and turning to leave. He was stressed out as it was, and he didn't need anybody throwing something so ridiculous on him now.

Hoshu snarled before holding up the piece of paper Neji had returned to him. "My mother's Lady Shion."

The Seventh Hokage froze like he'd just run into an invisible wall. He turned and stared at Hoshu with confusion and alarm. His eyes dropped to the paper, to the photo. Shion sat on her throne, looking as young as beautiful as the last day he'd seen her. On her knee was a small boy with light blond hair sticking up in spikes as if his hair had been hacked at with a sword. His skin was fair and pale, but the whisker marks on his face cut the light skin with startling distinction. And while his eyes were not shaped like the priestess', the soft magenta hue of them was unmistakable. Naruto's own eyes rounded with disbelief as the baby from the photograph, all grown up, spoke in a growling tone:

"Fifteen years ago, a dark entity named Moryo threatened all of the shinobi world. My mother was the only person who could stop him, to seal him within his body forever, but she was just a young priestess. She needed help. That help was you. You fought tooth and nail to protect her, encouraged her, gave her the strength and the will to live on instead of sacrificing herself on a whim. You and my mother, together, defeated Moryo. And afterwards, you made her a promise. The result of that promise is standing right in front of you."

"Stop it." Naruto's voice was breathless.

Hoshu glared daggers into Naruto. "I'm your son, Naruto, and you know what? I had this crazy idea that you would remember my mother and would have loved her forever. I was so stupid, because here you are with a big family of your own, and I'm stuck being the bastard son of a great hero!"

"What the hell are you yelling at _me_ for?" Naruto demanded, still shaken by what he'd been told. "It's not my fault for any of this. Shion- your mother tricked me into- she lied so that we could 'create' a priestess!"

"Priest," Hoshu corrected quietly, lowering his arm and the picture with it. "Not something my mother would have wanted, but she's stuck with me and my minuscule power. That's why…that's why I came here."

"You didn't run away," Naruto gasped. He could just imagine the international incident this teenage priest had created.

Hoshu swiped his fist horizontally in front of him, a gesture so familiar to Naruto that it was almost painful to witness someone other than himself do it. "Of course not! I told my mother that I needed to get stronger, that I needed to find a peaceful area and meditate for a while. She agreed since my powers are so weak…. Just because I'm male, her powers weren't fully passed down to me…. But _yours_ were."

"What?"

"I had a healer look me over on my journey, and she told me that I barely had any power as a priest. The most I could do was predict when our country might be attacked, but not who was attacking or if we stood a chance. Then she said that _I_ still had a chance. Because my chakra channels, the basis for shinobi power, she told me that they were immense and frightening. If I could harness this power and be trained as a ninja, it would make up for my uselessness as a priest and I could protect the Land of Ogres myself."

"What does that have anything to do with finding me?" Naruto asked.

"What else? I want to be a ninja, but I can't just walk into a random village and ask to become one. Since I'm in some way connected to you, I-"

Naruto shook his head quickly. "Uh-uh, no way! I'm not letting you stay here, and I'm definitely not having you trained as a shinobi. I have enough problems of my own at the moment!"

"I figured you'd say that, having a family of your own. They probably don't even know, do they?" Hoshu's anger receded only slightly and he looked mutely at his bare feet. "You completely forgot about my mother and me…but I'm not going to give you an option. I'm desperate. And if you don't accept me and teach me the shinobi arts, I'll tell all of the village who I am and how you left my mother alone with the burden of a child. Even if those you know are understanding, I doubt those who had loose trust of you before will stand beside you after hearing what I have to say."

The Hokage's blood went ice-cold. "You…You little!" He grabbed the collar of Hoshu's jacket.

Hoshu didn't flinch, eyes level with Naruto's. "You have enough problems, right? I'm not asking for your love or your acceptance, and you don't have to acknowledge me as your son. All I'm asking is that you help me get stronger so I can protect the people I care about. You owe me that much," he said with quiet resolve.

Naruto ground his teeth together and scrutinized the teenager in his hands. Hoshu was just a kid, and he was trying to blackmail Naruto for something so severe and embarrassing. What would people do if they found out his big mistake from fifteen years ago? And Hinata? He felt his stomach twisting at the thought of her hurt, betrayed expression. She'd be so disappointed, so heartbroken. Why in God's name did Shion have to bring this on him?!

* * *

Murai scratched the back of his head, sniffing. "Go on; do that little introduction thing."

Inari blinked at their new sensei. "Introduction thing?"

"Y'know, say your names and your goals and whatever else you feel like," the orange-haired man said. He leaned against the side wall of the academy while the three genin stood before him. While the other jonin had taken their students all about the village to do this, he'd merely walked twenty paces to a place where he could take a rest at. And having their spot be at the side of a building with no other witnesses, Nanami felt like she was a part of some dirty, underhanded thing.

"Er, I'm Inari Uzumaki. I'm very much into training and my favorite food is ramen from Ichiraku's. I suppose my dream is to become an excellent jonin, and to protect everyone who's dear to me. And I just wanted to say that it's great to have you two as my teammates," he added, smiling at Sho and Nanami.

Murai picked at something caught in his three-day stubble. "Next." Inari slouched a little at the indifference in his voice.

"My name's Nanami Nara. The Shadow Possession Jutsu is my specialty, but I'm great at strategy, too. My dream is to stay one step ahead of my big brother and my cousin from Suna, Mokumasa," she said with determination. She smiled at Inari. "And it's nice to have you on the team, too." He grinned, spirits lifted again.

"Sho Hyuga," the brown-haired boy said coolly. "My goal is to overcome the hatred of the Hyuga clan for the cadet branch, and show them what it truly means to be strong. I'm sure the three of us will make an excellent team."

"Grand. Now then…" Murai quirked a brow at Nanami as she raised her hand. "What."

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asked dubiously.

He heaved a sigh. "Again with this crap…Nichiren Murai. I don't like anything and there's too much that I hate to name them all here. I've achieved my ambitions already so I'm perfectly freaking content. The end. Questions?"

Inari patted Nanami's back comfortingly as she leaned her forehead into his shoulder. "We're doomed," she muttered.

Murai looked at each genin in turn, brown eyes dull. "Just because you were chosen today to graduate doesn't mean that you'll be on this team from now on. It's a very high possibility that I won't find you genin material. Your fate rests in my hands."

Now Sho had to comfort his teammates as they pressed their faces into either of his shoulders. "We're so doomed," Inari and Nanami muttered in unison. Sho rolled his eyes but could do nothing to shake them off.

The jonin thumbed his nose absently. "I don't really feel like going through this today, so - go to the seventeenth training area tomorrow, and I'll assess your skill then. Hopefully you have some. Be there at eleven a.m." Murai became a flit of shadow and vanished.

"Will we really be okay?" Nanami asked. Sho shook his head.

"Doubt it. Our sensei's a creep."

Inari did his best to smile reassuringly. "Now, wait a minute; first impressions aren't always accurate. We can't jump to conclusions. Besides, we should get ready for Murai-sensei's test and be sure we're prepared for whatever he has in store for us." Sho and Nanami exchanged glances.

* * *

"So, I'll start with myself," Botan announced, raising her hand like she was a student. Naoto and Kumamichi nodded encouragement. Megumi sat on the railing on the roof where Team Five was meeting for the first time, and she glared into the sky as if to burn out the sun with her anger.

The silver-haired beauty clasped her hands behind her back. "My name is Botan Hatake. I like barbecue chips-"

"Yes!" Naoto pumped his fist.

"-doggies-"

"Yahoo!" Kumamichi hollered.

"-and dressing up cute girls. My goal is to find the love of my life and marry him and have lots and lots of babies!"

"Is there an age-limit to your preferences?" the Inuzuka child asked. Botan giggled while Myu shook her little head in exasperation at Kumamichi.

Botan looked at the attentive boys before her. "Well, I suppose you introduced yourselves already on our way here - you two are so talkative," she said with a smile, and they both melted. "So the only person who hasn't made themselves known isssss, little 'Gumi!"

The black-haired girl sent Botan an evil stare, but there was nothing but a sweet smile on the jonin's face as she waited patiently. Megumi sighed, sliding off the railing and folding her arms.

"Megumi Uzumaki. I like training with the Hyuga clan. I hate giggly, air-headed girls like you. My goal is to become head of the Hyuga clan. And if you call me 'Gumi again, I'll crack your empty skull against the pavement," she growled.

Botan's grin froze and she blinked her big brown eyes. Kumamichi looked expectantly between the girls, hoping for a brawl. Naoto shrunk into himself and Myu cowered behind his pudgy leg. Then Botan tilted her head and closed her eyes, smiling warmly.

There wasn't even a blurred image when the jonin disappeared. Megumi felt her hair pulled back, but before she could spin to attack, her wrists were snatched and held. She heard Botan speaking next to her ear from behind.

"There, now. You look so much cuter with your hair out of your face," she said in her bubbly manner. Megumi's blue eyes widened when she realized her hair was now in a high ponytail, her bangs nonexistent. She hadn't even realized what Botan had been doing.

_She really is a jonin. Where'd she get the tie…? _Megumi gaped at the missing string on her hooded beige sweater.

Botan released the startled girl and put her hands on her plentiful hips, smiling. "All right! Now that we know each other, I'm sure that we'll all be the best of friends. But the fun's just beginning - I want you all to meet me in half an hour at the twenty-first training field, and I'll see what you've got." She kissed two of her fingers and winked at them. "Buh-bye!" In a twirl of leaves, Botan was gone.

Kumamichi whooped again. "Man, my luck is never-ending! What a fox! There's no way I'm botching this, not with a sensei like that to look forward to."

Naoto swallowed, watching as Megumi didn't move a single muscle, her face still portraying shock. "Uh, Ms. Megumi, I…" He threw up his arms in defense, but she only ripped the tie from her hair with a great snarl.

"That _bitch_!" Even Kumamichi was taken aback by her choice of words. "There's no way I'm taking that from a sleazy girl like her. I don't care if she _is_ a jonin - her head is mine!" She leaped off the roof and darted out of sight in seconds.

Kumamichi grinned. "Well, you heard her. There's gonna be a cat-fight after all. C'mon, Myu." The beagle reluctantly hopped onto his head, and he jumped straight down off the building.

Naoto stood alone, sighing. "I think I'd trade with Naoki about now…."

* * *

"Can I trade with Naoto?" Naoki demanded.

"You can't trade teams once you've been assigned to one," Mamoru pointed out.

"I bet I could. The right bribe, the right situation - it all depends on the circumstances."

"I don't think that's legal."

"Besides…" Naoki clutched his head in misery. "How is running laps around the village considered initiation!?"

Lee turned to jog backwards, smiling at his team. "Come on, men! Let us explode with the passion of a thousand suns. Power of youth!" He turned and sprinted out of sight.

Naoki gaped as their sensei ran further and further away. "How is that even possib-"

"Yes, sir," Mamoru said, and in a flash of wind, the pink-haired boy was gone. Naoki nearly tripped out of complete shock. Mamoru was the child of Sakura Haruno and Rock Lee. The kunoichi's superior chakra control coupled with the shinobi's insane speed and strength had created a taijutsu demon. And yet, the boy's indifferent personality seemed to be an exact copy of Sai. Many people often wondered if those soulful black eyes hadn't come from the artful AnBu member instead of the beautiful green beast, but they let that touchy subject alone. At least Mamoru didn't seem to give the potential scandal any consideration.

Subaru rolled his eyes, walking far behind even Naoki, who at least made an effort to jog. "This is so stupid." Ukyo barked agreement and went back to snoozing in his master's shirt.

Mamoru was darting along beside Lee now, having caught up. The jonin grinned down at his son. "Excellent! You certainly have been training well with Sakura."

The pink-haired boy kept looking forward, sweat beading on his temples but no strain appearing in his face. "You've been training me as well; it's not all Mother's doing."

"Yes, but now I can begin to train you properly. You _and_ your new teammates. I did not expect them to keep up with us the first day, so I am not discouraged by their lack of enthusiasm. Soon, they will learn the rewarding ways of the beautiful green beast of Konoha! Just as you have, my son!"

"I doubt that," Mamoru said without infliction.

"Come! Let us run towards the sun, Mamoru!"

"Yes, sir."

Naoki collapsed in the road, gasping and sweating profusely. "I'll die. I'm going to die like this. I won't even get a last meal." Subaru stepped over his whimpering form without so much as acknowledging him.

* * *

Yaso sat across from Shikamaru at the shogi board, chin on his fist, mind elsewhere. Shikamaru noticed and moved his piece to take a bishop. "Still sulking?"

"I'm not sulking," Yaso snapped. He stopped, studying the board, before slouching. "Okay, maybe I am, but so what?"

"You can't dwell on this, Yaso. This is the first time you've ever even been considered to teach genin, so of course your chances of actually succeeding was close to zero from the start. You shouldn't have been banking on this so much."

"But both Botan and Murai got teams this round, and they used to be in our cell. Sensei, isn't that a little unfair?"

"Life is unfair. I don't remember you complaining so much about it while you were just a genin," Shikamaru said with a smirk. Yaso frowned stubbornly and moved a piece, taking Shikamaru's castle. "There's always next graduation, kid; this wasn't a once in a lifetime shot."

The wavy-haired teen sighed heavily. "I know…. It just seems like my teammates are surpassing me by getting teams so early…."

"Do you remember how high Murai's standards were?" Shikamaru asked, quirking a brow. "From the look of things, that hasn't changed. And Bo…. Well, the result of Anko's and Kakashi's one-night stand really created a troublesome woman. You used to always want to impress her when we were all on a team."

Yaso flushed and looked away. "That was before I actually got common sense. She may be strong, but she's too ridiculous!" Shikamaru laughed and took Yaso's queen, making the young man groan unhappily. "If I'm going to be stuck doing D- and C-ranks for a while, I wanted to at least make them useful by taking my own team along, to teach them basics and things like that. Now I have nothing to do. What if Lord Hokage keeps assigning me babysitting missions?"

"Training a team of genin _is_ babysitting. And do you really think Naruto would purposefully do that to you? Listen, your mother was ecstatic when you made jonin a few months back. You've reached what Kurenai and Asuma…" Shikamaru grew quiet at his sensei's name on his lips. "At this rate, you'll surpass both your parents and beyond. Be patient. Wait it out, and bide your time. Climbing the ladder of ranks is essentially a never-ending mission, so treat it like one."

The young jonin breathed out heavily. "Yes, Shikamaru-sensei."

Shikamaru nodded. "Good." Attention back to the game, just as Yaso placed his last bishop in a tile, the older jonin's hand moved like lightening to place his piece. "Checkmate." Yaso fell sideways on the porch, giving up. "How about another round?"

* * *

Hoshu stood before Naruto's desk as the Hokage looked at him, fingers laced before his mouth and leaning on his papers. Neji stood by the door and waited for a verdict. The blond teen met his father's gaze steadily and never broke it once.

"…This is impossible."

"What?" Hoshu yelped.

Naruto leaned back in his chair and squinted his eyes. "We look way too much alike for me to let you just run around the village! Those handsome features of mine can be spotted miles away." Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that his Hokage wasn't joking in the least.

"What are you talking about? I look more like my mother," the teenager insisted. Naruto got up and pulled on Hoshu's cheeks, oblivious to the glittering anger in his son's eyes.

"Even if that's true, these markings are a dead giveaway. If we want nobody to know who you really are, then you have to hide them, stat."

Hoshu slapped Naruto's hands away, fuming. "How the hell do you propose to do that!"

"Me? It's your fault for having them in the first place!"

"I had no say-so of what I'd look like when I was born! If it's anyone's fault, it's yours and your stupid DNA! I'd rather have looked exactly like my mother than get anything from you!"

"…Wow, that's _way_ too familiar," Naruto said, suddenly cringing at the image of an angry Megumi. He shook his head to clear those thoughts, glaring at Hoshu. "Can't you do transformation or something? We can't just let you walk around like that, or the secret's out."

Two heads of spiky blond hair turned on Neji, and the jonin inwardly rolled his eyes. "Couldn't you just use make-up to cover the markings? Or bandages? If he used transformation, one hit from his peers and the illusion would break."

Hoshu blinked. "Wow, Mom was right - you are the smart one," he said, poking a finger in Neji's direction.

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "So we can just slap some bandages on your face, and you'd be set. Lots of people have spiky hair, and there's nothing else really prominent on you that screams 'I'm Naruto's kid!'."

"So is that it? When do I get assigned to my team?" The Hokage squinted at him irritably.

"You think you can become genin like that right off the bat? You have to go through the academy first; all us ninja do. A few years of training there-"

"I don't have a few years!" Hoshu snapped, alarmed. "I told Mom I'd only be away for a year, tops!"

"What the hell did you expect to get done in a year!?" Naruto demanded.

"A whole bunch!"

Naruto growled at Hoshu. "Have you even had the physical training for any of this? Ha! Probably not, seeing as you were waited on hand and foot by your servants." He stopped, thinking, and suddenly looked at his son somberly. "Hey, you don't…. That power of yours, does it happen to be…the same as Shion's?"

Hoshu blinked. "You mean foreseeing people dying for me? No way, I'm not powerful enough for that." He pulled up his sleeve and showed the small flute tied to his wrist. "When I hear the tone of the flute, my pulse races, and visions of the present are revealed to me. I used it to find the Hidden Leaf Village - I searched for it in spirit form, leaving my body behind each time. Once I had the location, I returned to my body and headed here. It's not the most impressive power, but, like I said, if I was born a girl, my powers would have been greater."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. "Well, it's a heck of a lot better than Shion's power, and less scary," he muttered. "But you won't be using priestess or priest techniques; you'll be taught ninjutsu. I'm not sure if it's easier or harder, and I don't know if it's the same thing or not…."

The blond teen stared at the floor before looking up, squaring his shoulders. "I've had physical training - I've sparred with the castle guards every day since I was eight. They also taught me how to use weapons like swords and bows and stuff. I think all I really need is to develop ninjutsu…. Please. _Please_, Lord Hokage, I can't waste my time in a school when I need to get stronger in such a short amount of time."

"Have him take the test to become genin." Hoshu and Naruto turned to Neji again as he spoke. "I can teach him basic ninja skills he'll need to know to reach that level, and one week from now, he can take the genin test."

"And after that he needs a team, and a jonin," Naruto panned out, thinking. "We can't just pin him on any existing team; we'd have to scrounge up two more academy students." He rubbed his temples. "So where the hell are we going to find students who failed this graduation who will be ready for genin level in just one week?"

* * *

Shikatsuro panted heavily, glaring at the squirrel scuttling about the remote forest floor. No one was around for miles. He'd been at this for an hour. "Damn little thing's quick…." He scraped his nails against the flat metal rectangle almost as tall as he was. "But if I can capture this thing, then I can capture any ninja."

The squirrel sat up on its hind legs, looking towards Shikatsuro, recognizing a threat but one that couldn't touch it. The boy and the rodent stared each other down, unmoving, waiting for the other to strike.

Then Shikatsuro stuck the metal rectangle in the ground and made rapid handsigns. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" A tendril shot out from his shadow straight for the squirrel. The creature bolted back towards a tree and jumped to cling to its trunk. The shadow tendril reached around and attached to the tree's silhouette, absorbing it, and used it as momentum as the tendril slithered up and around the trunk.

With a brave leap, the squirrel descended from the tree and hit the ground running. Shikatsuro withdrew a kunai from his weapon pouch, concentrated his chakra, and threw it. It stuck into the ground in front of the squirrel. The string of shadow that had stretched from Shikatsuro with the knife snapped forward, and the rodent was caught.

Shikatsuro smirked. "Shadow Possession, complete." He pulled the metal rectangle from the ground as the squirrel shuddered, not understanding why it suddenly couldn't move. "If this were a real battle, I'd have played with you for a while, but I think I'll let you see all three moons at once."

With the smooth sliding of metal, the squirrel copying the teenager's pose, Shikatsuro opened a dark green fan behind his back. There were three symbols along the top of the pleated cloth - the bordering ones being waning white moons, and the center was a circle with a white slash straight through it. His green eyes were intent on the squirrel.

"And now - Wind Scythe Jutsu!" He swung the fan and gusts of chakra-enhanced air sprang from the motion. The invisible blades cut into the trees, gashing them, sometimes slicing them clean through. Four full-grown trees toppled with heavy crashes to the forest floor.

The debris cleared, and there the squirrel sat, huddled in a ball. It looked up at the amazing notion that it was still alive, and Shikatsuro smirked, triumphant.

"I did it. I finally did both at once." His eyes blazed with ambition. "Just wait, Nanami; there's no way you'll surpass me. Not ever again!"

* * *

Megumi, Naoto, and Kumamichi stood in the forest that was the twenty-first training field of Konoha. The trees were fairly thick and the sun only shone in dappled patches along the leaf litter.

"Oh my gosh, you're here!" Botan squealed, suddenly jumping from the trees and sweeping them all into a group hug. "I can _so_ tell that we're all going to get along really well~!"

While the boys were in their own personal heavens, Megumi's anger spiked again. "You're _late_, space cadet. You said thirty minutes, and you show up half an hour late," she snarled.

Botan released them, tilting her head like a kitten. "Oh my, I lost track of time. You see, Daddy needed me to take out the garbage…."

"That takes half an hour?" Megumi stressed.

"It's okay, Bo-sensei. We don't mind waiting for you," Naoto said shyly. Kumamichi elbowed him away to stand before the silver-haired beauty.

"Why don't I come with you next time? I'll make sure you get here on time." The black-haired boy grinned in a way he must have thought was seductive, but it made him look even younger. Myu rolled her eyes from the seat atop his head.

Botan clapped her hands together, getting their attention. "Okay, you guys! This test is very important. If I don't like what you show me, I'm required to send you straight back to the academy, so be sure to do your best. I won't go easy on you!" she said cutely.

Megumi set her in a condescending glare. "And what exactly are we supposed to do?"

The jonin giggled. She held up two bells.

* * *

_**Okay, so, edit time. :D**_

_**I've gotten a complaint about Naruto's behavior in this chapter. First of all, please forgive him, he's very stressed and Hoshu's just tried to blackmail him and threaten the peace he's worked really hard to create. TT~TT Second, before you pass judgement on how Naruto will act for the rest of this fic, take a look at my author's notes at the top of chapter three, or just read the chapter. I swear I'm not making Naruto out to be the bad guy here. Please have patience with me? :'D**_

_**And don't forget to love each other, okay? **_


	3. Smoke and Mirrors

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I've heard lots of people say that I portray Naruto in this story as, excuse me as I quote, "a dick". And you're right! I don't take it as an insult - it just means I'm writing this story right. ^_^ Because honestly, this is Naruto's nature. When he first meets people, he almost NEVER gets along with them. In fact, he says some pretty choice things to them that we usually overlook because the person he's insulting is being an obvious ass. If you look back, Naruto's mean to almost everyone he deeply befriends: Sasuke, Inari (little kid from the Land of Waves, not his son ^u^;) **__**Neji,**__** ANYONE in the Naruto movies including Shion, and a lot more that I can't think of at the top of my head. The usual theme being: bite me, I bite back. That's Naruto's PERSONALITY.**_

_**I also seem to be noticing that people view Naruto as someone who would never do something like this to someone who's his illegitimate son who's suffering from emotional trauma involving the lack of a father figure. I'm not saying that he's totally unfeeling and cold, because he's not, at all! OAO It's just that he's been hounded and hounded by his position of power lately, with the drop in shinobi forces and many other factors that will be revealed later. He's trying to fulfill his dream and make the Leaf Village and the Land of Fire a just, good place for his children and everyone else to grow. Then this kid he knew nothing about suddenly comes along claiming to be his child, and using that to threaten him and the order of the village he's taken YEARS to protect. Naruto is not a perfect human being, and given his initial personality that I described above, I think he acted true to his nature.**_

_**Hoshu is insulting and hateful to Naruto, going as far as to BLACKMAIL him and use the loyalty of his village against him. Even if this kid obviously has his reasons (which aren't right at all - I'm not on either of their sides in that argument =w=;;) he still came at Naruto claws unsheathed and teeth bared. Naruto reacts to that with the same ferocity. It's only when the other party calms down and is civil that Naruto does the same, and becomes kinder.**_

_**At the moment, Hoshu's an emotional teenager with a broken family and Naruto is a childish man who doesn't like to be threatened. With that in mind, let's continue. :D**_

* * *

**Smoke and Mirrors**

The seventeenth training ground was flat land, bordering a lake that deepened very slowly, so its shallow end was long. Several docks stretched into the body of water at different intervals. There was only one tree that sat smack dab in the middle of the clearing, and as Team Six approached, they could see Murai leaning against it.

"You're early?" Nanami couldn't help but be shocked.

"No, you three are late." Murai took a slice of onion from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He shrugged from the tree to stand before his genin, chewing. "Hope you all brought your ninja tools, because we're not stopping once we start."

Inari raised his hand politely. "Er, Murai-sensei, what exactly are we starting?"

The jonin removed a carton of cigarettes from his flak vest and struck a match, lighting the tobacco. He exhaled a cloud of smoke onto his team, who coughed as a result. He didn't seem to notice. "Your objective today determines whether or not you're fit to be genin. I want all three of you to come at me full-force, no holds barred. I want you to attack me with the intent to kill. If you don't, you've wasted my time, and I don't like having my time wasted. I won't go easy on you, either."

Sho, Inari, and Nanami all bore the same deep frown, as if they smelled something bad. Nanami wiped tears from her eyes with her hands while Inari scrubbed the forearm of his jacket to remove them from his face.

Murai blinked apathetically at them. "What? It's not something to cry about. What are you, five?"

"The smoke's stinging our eyes!" Nanami snapped in protest.

"Hnn? You don't like my cigarettes?"

"They're disgusting," Sho coughed.

"Then take them from me."

"What?"

The jonin raised his eyebrow, cigarette bobbing in his mouth when he talked. "If you hate my cigarettes so much, then you should confiscate them from me. I have three more in this carton, one for each of you. I'll give you all an hour to take one, and if you get one, you can consider yourselves lucky to have the great honor of being on my team. If you don't, I dangle you by the ankles in that tree for the rest of the day, and then I drag you back to your mothers in shame."

Inari blinked the remainder of his tears away. "But, Sensei, taking your cigarettes isn't courteous to you." He started hacking again when Murai released smog straight into the blond boy's face.

"Does it really look like I care about courtesy, kid?"

"I'll take those cigarettes," Sho said, eyes narrow.

Nanami frowned with duty and irritation. "Me, too."

Murai took the cigarette from his mouth only to blow more smoke. However, the indifferent air about him had changed in that gesture. A slight tension, a sensation of someone putting up a defense. "Ready when you are."

Nanami dropped down to one knee, making the sign of the Rat. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Murai leaped backwards with his hands in his pockets, moving in serpentine, half-lidded eyes on the line of darkness streaking across the grass to catch his shadow. It halted abruptly. "Must be your limit line," the jonin muttered around his cigarette. The flash of a red shirt alerted Murai in time to brush a two-fingered strike from hitting his neck. Sho came at the jonin, Byakugan active and straining the veins around his eyes.

Inari made a handsign as Nanami got up. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Three more Inaris popped into existence in plumes of white smoke. Two dashed towards the jonin, and the last grasped Inari's hand, spun, and threw him towards the battle. Inari landed and instantly ran, his clones forming a diamond with him as they sprinted.

Nanami hurried to catch up. When Inari and his clones joined the fight, trying to overwhelm Murai with numbers, she threw a shuriken.

It landed three inches from Murai's foot, but when he tried to move out of a kick, he found his legs stuck firmly in place. A thin layer of chakra surrounded the throwing star and pinned his shadow in place. Clicking his tongue, Murai leaned from the kick instead and threw the clone, making it implode.

The jonin made rapid handsigns, Sho being the first to notice. _What the-?_

Suddenly the shuriken seemed to reverse, flying out of the ground and spinning high above their heads. A shard of glass winked in the late morning sun, stuck in the hole of the throwing star. Murai was able to shuffle his feet freely to allow him to fight with the minimal amount of movement possible.

Murai kicked the last clone out of existence. When he stepped back to face the real Inari, however, his heel pressed down on a steel wire. He looked back at it, unimpressed. "Traps?" A line of shuriken followed the breath of every leap backwards he made until he jumped straight up into the lone tree. Nanami met him there, already crouched on the same branch, and her shadow bolted to absorb his'.

Propelling sideways out of the tree, Murai rolled to break his fall and landed in a crouch. The blonde girl grinned with satisfaction. "Game over."

The explosion tag under Murai's thumb burst to life. The jonin's brown eyes widened as seven more activated around him.

_**BOOM!**_

Inari gasped, more than horrified. He looked up at Nanami, pointing at the clearing fire and smoke. "N-N-Nanami! You killed our sensei!"

"He deserved that death, if that's the case," Sho muttered, but even their female teammate looked worried.

"Indeed, he deserved that."

Nanami's head snapped up, alarmed, to find Murai sitting on a branch several meters above her. His back was against the trunk, one leg swinging, as he lit a cigarette. He waved the match, glancing down at her. "I suck at making clones - they never end up being as strong as me."

Inari's eyes widened, half relieved that they hadn't killed their jonin and half terrified that they'd been duped. "He uses shadow clones too!"

Sho narrowed his Byakugan eyes at the figure in the trees as the young jonin blew a smoke ring out of pure boredom. "Honestly, if that's the best you can do, you really _are_ wasting my time. By the way, in case you were wondering, yes. This is one of your cigarettes."

* * *

Hoshu's eyes had glazed over, but it wasn't from his priest powers. Neji rubbed his forehead as he tried to hold his temper.

"You really are his son."

"Wait, wait, explain it one more time!" Hoshu insisted. "And, maybe use a few smaller words?"

The Hyuga man sighed and thought it over. They were standing in the training yard of Neji's house. Hoshu was to stay there until the week was up and he'd take the test, but as it turned out, the first day was slow-going. The teen didn't seem to understand anything when it was given to him in a full explanation.

"Okay, chakras are, to put it simply, the energies that a shinobi requires in order to perform ninjutsu. Basically, these energies are those of the body, drawn from each and every one of the approximately thirteen trillion cells that are believed to make up the human body, and those of the mental and spiritual energy acquired over the course of much training and experience. Together, those two forms of energy are what make up the chakras.

"In effect, all the arts and techniques of the shinobi are born of a combination of those two energies, brought forth from the body and spirit - in what is called 'manipulating the chakras' - and focused in the mystic process known as 'weaving signs'."

"…"

"Get out of my house."

"Maybe if you said it slower…?"

"Now."

Chinatsu presently jumped off the porch wrapped around the house and tottered into the yard, Tenten following after her with a juice box and straw. She noticed Hoshu and Neji at odds, and shook her head fondly. "Neji, you never did have patience as a teacher."

Her husband responded by folding his arms and trying to look as if he wasn't losing control of his anger. "I'm just trying to teach him the basic definition of chakra, and he's not paying attention at all."

"W- I so am! You're just being really complicated," Hoshu snapped.

"Maybe you should try a different approach," Tenten suggested. "You know, more like how we explain things to Chinatsu." Neji looked at her flatly. "Okay, okay, Mr. Macho. You didn't hesitate whenever Chinatsu had a question," she teased.

"Bug!" The little brown bun on Chinatsu's head was the only part of her visible as the toddler skittered around a bush. "Bug, Daddy, bug!"

Neji walked over to assist his daughter and Tenten sat on the edge of the porch, facing Hoshu. "You said you're a priest, right? And being a priest, you pray a lot, right?"

"Sure," the teen said slowly, searching for a relevance.

"Then think of chakra as a prayer. When you make a prayer, you put your two hands together." She demonstrated. "In order to pray, you must do this. In order to make chakra, you must put your two _energies_ together. Mental," she held up one hand, then the other, "and physical." She clapped her hands again. "Just like your two hands make a prayer, those two energies make chakra."

"So I fuse physical and mental energy together, and that makes chakra?" Hoshu's eyes squinted. "That's so simple! Why'd he have to explain it like that?" Neji twitched where he held his daughter across the yard.

"Because grown men shouldn't have to have things explained in such a juvenile manner. Right, Chinatsu?"

"Juice!" the girl declared. Neji nodded as if she'd just made his point.

Tenten poked the straw into the juice box and stood. "You got it? Just focus on squashing the energies together and you should get chakra."

"Yes, ma'am." He watched with amusement as Neji set Chinatsu down and the little girl shot off like a rocket around the yard. Both jonin seemed to have a hard time chasing her as she crawled under bushes and weaved beneath the porch. "Now, squashing physical energy with mental. Can't be too hard - meditating never was a problem for me."

Hoshu sat cross-legged on the porch and rested his arms loosely in his lap. He breathed evenly and closed his eyes, letting the breeze and the sounds of Chinatsu's mischief be the only elements keeping him attached to his body. He almost listened for the tone of his flute but stopped himself, briefly cursing habit. _I'll start making my chakra and be on my way to being a shinobi. Wait for me, Mom._

* * *

Naoto walked back into the village from the forest, face a picture of wonderment. "Wow. That lesson really was deep. Who knew teamwork was so important when you're a genin?" He sighed, smiling at his own pathetic nature. "I can't believe I was the one tied up in the end, though."

"You're not the only one shocked," Kumamichi assured him. He tore at his hair. "Damn it, it should have been _me_ who was tied up by Bo-sensei!"

"But that was a punishment…."

"Kid, it's the best kind of punishment."

Megumi trailed behind her male teammates as Kumamichi tried to explain the joys of bondage, and the dark-haired girl was truly humbled. None of Team Five had been able to snag a bell from Botan. Kumamichi had just charged blindly and had gotten manhandled, which was probably his initial intentions from the start. Naoto had almost gotten the jonin with a Mind Transfer Jutsu, but Botan was too quick, and while his body had been defenseless, she'd tied him to a tree. And even using her knowledge of the Hyuga arts, Megumi had been unable to land a single blow on her sensei. Megumi indeed had been humbled - that didn't mean she wasn't still furious.

Reminded now that the current object of her hatred was being unusually quiet, Megumi turned to look back at Botan. The silver-haired girl was looking up at the sky with a blank but thoughtful expression. "Sensei?"

"Hm?"

"You seem distracted. Not that I care."

Botan stopped, and Megumi did too, the boys continuing without notice. The jonin's mouse-brown eyes were still soaking in the celestial view with an indifferent but earnest curiosity. The wind played with her hair. "I was thinking about Nichiren."

"Nichiren?"

"Someone from my old genin team; a very precious friend of mine. He got a team yesterday, and he's testing them as we speak. I wonder…will he be able to accept them, with his heart in that condition? Such a fragile state full of mistrust and hatred…."

Megumi blinked at the quiet tone in Botan's voice. The sadness in it completely opposed the jonin's bubbly demeanor. "Sensei…?"

Botan smiled abruptly. "Of course, Nichiren can't refuse _me_. I'm very special to him, you know! My sunny aura can clear away any kind of storm cloud around anyone's heart," she piped, voice dripping with honey. Megumi recoiled with automatic disgust.

"Prissy little…." The genin turned on her heel and stormed off. Botan giggled, smiling more naturally. She turned to look back up at the clouds with that same smile.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Nichiren, my prince."

* * *

Yaso's red eyes widened. "Lord Hokage did _what_?"

"You heard exactly what I said," Shikamaru said sternly, then smiled a little. "Turns out my good-for-nothing son is being graced with a second chance. He and two other kids are going to take the genin test in a week, and if they pass, you'll be their new sensei."

A slow grin broke out across Yaso's face. "That's amazing. That's fantastic. Mom!" He ducked back into the apartment with the energy of a little boy.

Shikamaru shook his head and leaned against the doorway, laughing to himself. Yaso was such a goofy kid at heart. To see him before the Hokage's desk or during training, and then see him performing chores for Kurenai and playing shogi with his old master, almost bordered on multiple personality disorder. Of course, the separation of home life and the shinobi world had only become so extreme a few years back. The memory ruined Shikamaru's smile, dampening his mood.

Yaso returned, his eyes even brighter, and Shikamaru knew Kurenai had praised him. "So I can teach Shikatsuro? We're almost the same age…but that doesn't matter. Who else is being admitted?"

"Calm yourself, kid, they haven't even passed the test yet," the older jonin chuckled, still quiet. "If one of them fails, you won't have a team."

"Then I'll go train them for the week."

"You can't train them until they're your genin."

"Why not?" Yaso asked, bewildered. "I'm a student teacher at the academy - I should be able to."

Shaking his head at the honest determination on his former student's face, Shikamaru waved his hand. "I think we should bank on their natural talent. I don't know about the other two, but I think Shikatsuro is sick of losing to his little sister, so you've got that going for you. I hear the second kid showed up out of nowhere bent to hell on becoming an accomplished ninja in a year's time. Yeah, I know. Don't ask about the third; I have no clue who it is."

Yaso let out a breath to calm his excitement. He only succeeded in quelling half of his anxiety. "One week. In one week, I'll lead my own team." Shikamaru scratched the back of his neck.

"I told you, don't get your hopes up, kid…."

* * *

Murai skidded back to keep his footing, but otherwise stood his ground. No sweat blemished his skin and his hair looked tangled whether he was in motion or not. The second cigarette was burned halfway through in his mouth. Sho and Nanami faced him with growing anticipation.

From across the field, Inari looked on, a stubbed-out cigarette in his fingers. He was the first to gain passage by distracting the jonin with his shadow clones. The blond boy studied the threesome in battle, concern writ in his creased brow. _Five minutes left. Come on, Sho, Nanami…!_

After half a minute of intense staring, Sho moved to charge. Just as he did, Murai made rapid handsigns. "Lightening Blade!" Electricity screeched and then blossomed in his palm. He grabbed the arm that held it, shaking as he tried to contain it.

Sho's Byakugan eyes narrowed. _That technique belongs to Kakashi the Copycat Ninja. He was only able to perfect it because of the Sharingan implanted into his left eye. But this guy - the Uchiha are wiped out, and he has no Sharingan. That jutsu will be clumsily powerful and chalk-full of openings. Does he underestimate us that much?_

Murai reared back. "Ninja Art: Piercing Shards!" He slammed the lightening blade into the ground up to his elbow, seeming to snuff the jutsu. Then, sharp pieces of glass shot out of the ground, clustering towards Nanami and Sho. Several caught her in the stomach and chest, but in a puff of smoke, she became a log, having used substitution. Sho deflected the shards with a knife and discarded it as he ran at Murai.

The jonin pulled his arm from the ground, shaking off the dirt, and leaned away from the deadly Hyuga-style taijutsu. Every stab for his chakra points was avoided but one, and it was a fatal mistake on Murai's part. Sho hit his palm square in Murai's solar plexus, and the teenager blanched. The genin swiped the cigarette from Murai's mouth and leaped away to stand by Inari.

Murai's neck muscles were taut and he hugged his stomach, blood sliding down his chin. Inari bit his nail. "You used too much force, Sho." The Hyuga shrugged indifferently.

Once the jonin had recovered somewhat, Nanami appeared from behind the tree. She and Murai locked eyes. Even hunched with pain, he still had the defiance to take the last cigarette and, eyes never leaving Nanami's, screw it between his lips.

Nanami dashed sideways, weaving handsigns. "Shadow Stitching Jutsu!" Her shadow attached to the tree's and stretched as she ran, hundreds of thin black tendrils sprouting from the line. They sped straight for Murai.

"Reflecting Wall!" Lightening flickered around Murai's feet for a moment, and then a rectangle of morphed glass shot up from the ground. He glared solemnly as the shadows bounced off of the clear surface.

Nanami bolted for the wall with a shuriken between each finger. She focused chakra over them and threw them all at once. They pinged and clanged, but made no breaches. Sweat slid down her temple. _Two minutes left._

The jonin seemed mostly recovered, blood still staining his face. He pulled back his fist and punched the glass wall. It shattered, and he grabbed smaller pieces, throwing them at her in quick succession. She leaped nimbly out of harm's way. _One minute._

"Second Strike Jutsu," Murai growled, making a handsign.

The sound of electricity warned Nanami a moment before each glass shard stuck in the ground exploded with lightening. A coil of yellow energy hit her leg, but she used substitution again, and vanished.

Murai looked around the clearing to locate the shadow kunoichi. Sho and Inari did the same, more so out of concern. Time was running out. Only a few seconds left.

The ground below the jonin exploded and Nanami jumped up, reaching for the bloody cigarette. Murai's eyes rounded in disbelief. It felt like slow motion as she stretched her fingers to take the tobacco.

A beeping sound went off. Murai vanished.

Nanami felt a hand on the back of her head to hold her in place. "Close. But no cigarette." She gulped as Murai switched the alarm on his watch off, and then struck a match against his facial hair. He lit his last cigarette. "You know the drill, sweetheart."

A minute later, and Nanami found herself hanging upside down from the tree, limp and defeated. Murai blew smoke at her face with an air of triumph, though no smirk graced his features.

"This is an unexpected turnout," he said, glancing at the two champions. "I thought for sure Mr. Courtesy would be the one I hung dry, but you were the first to get one. Congrats."

Somehow, none of the children looked excited. Nanami looked especially depressed. Just a second earlier, if she had finished that tunnel a moment earlier…. Inari glanced at her with a heavy heart and Sho looked at his feet. It was sad that Nanami was the only one to lose. They didn't want her to leave.

"So as a result of the assessments I've just made…" Murai crushed the cigarette against the tree without finishing it. "Fail."

"You mean Nanami?" Sho asked.

"I mean all of you. None of you has what it takes to be shinobi." The genin stared at him with devastation as he pocketed the spent cigarette. He glanced back at Nanami. "You, I think I'll keep here, just because I like picking on girls."

Inari recovered from his sudden grief. "B-But you said that if we got one-"

He stopped a Murai's half-lidded eyes pinned him. "Did you not hear me? I've decided that you aren't fit for genin-level. It's back to the academy with the three of you."

"What's your reason?" Sho demanded.

"Like I have to explain myself to wet blankets. Now, I'm going to the Hokage's to fill out the paperwork for this." He coughed into his fist. "And maybe stop by the infirmary. I want you all to sit here and wait until I come get you. Leave the training ground, and you're dead. Oh, and if either one of you cuts her down, I'll make damn sure it'll be even more difficult for you to become genin next year. See you in a few hours, failures."

Minutes went by as the sun crawled a barely-noticeable amount of space across the infinite sky. It was warm without being scalding in the sunlight, and the slightest breeze flowed about the clearing.

Inari leaned on the tree trunk as he sat under it. "I can't believe it. Murai-sensei's really serious about failing us, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Sho said. He remained in his cool composure, but the edge in his voice told the others that he was furious and crestfallen.

Nanami wriggled her fingers to get feeling back into them. "I'm sorry, you guys. This is probably my fault. If I'd just have gotten his stupid cigarette, maybe we all would have passed."

"No, you're not to blame," Inari said. "We…must have done something wrong. Something important."

"But you two got cigarettes just fine. You should have passed, at least! But somehow we're all on the chopping block. I'm really sorry, guys." Nanami blinked hard. She was getting a headache from hanging upside down for so long. "We have to…start all over…."

Sho got up, making Inari look over at him. "Where are you going? Murai-sensei told us not to leave," he yelped as the brown-haired boy started walking out into the field. Activating his Byakugan, Sho scoured the sight where Nanami had set paper bombs. He stooped to pick something up, coming back.

"Even if it was only for today, we're teammates. Who cares what some washed-up jonin says? We don't blame you, Nanami. If we start over, we do it together." Sho held a half-burned cigarette before Nanami's wide green eyes.

"Sho…."

Inari hopped to his feet. "He's right! We were all put on the same team to work together." He exchanged a look with Sho.

"H-Hey, don't!" Nanami protested as Inari held her up and Sho sliced the rope hanging her off of the ground. "If you do this…!"

"When we go back to the academy," Inari said, setting his shorter teammate down and fixing her in an earnest stare, hands resting on her shoulders, "we've got to stick together. The three of us."

Nanami looked between the boys, one's face a cool smile and the other's a kind grin. She almost cried. Instead, she beamed at them, a younger, sweeter Temari. "You guys are too much." Inari and Sho seemed to sigh with relief.

"Eaugh! I'll say."

The genin whirled with a start to see Murai standing a little ways away. The blood was off of his face, and he looked healthier. He also looked like he'd seen the genin gut each other. "'We don't blame you'? 'We've got to stick together'? Are you _trying_ to make me puke?"

Inari flushed and took his hands off of Nanami, Sho just giving Murai an irritated stare. "Just because you're a sour jerk," Nanami said, "doesn't mean we have to be like you!"

"You've already been to Lord Hokage?" Inari asked, stomach twisting. Naruto would be so disappointed if he found out his eldest son had failed to stay a genin.

Murai pulled a new carton of cigarettes from his flak vest and cracked it open. "I've been here the whole damn time. I saw everything. Son of a- I can't believe I actually lost."

"Lost what?"

"She'll never let me live this down…." Murai puffed on a fresh cigarette. "Apparently, I have no other choice but to give you a passing grade."

"We passed?" Inari squeaked.

"But you said-"

Murai raised a hand to silence Nanami, scowling. "The lesson here was teamwork. Even if all three of you had gotten a cigarette, using your one-man method, I'd have failed you anyway. However, if you all had worked together and had gotten no cigarettes, all three of you would have passed. As a genin, your whole focus is on working with others to get stronger. Why do you think you were put into three-man cells?"

Nanami frowned in confusion. "But we didn't work together - you just changed your mind."

The jonin gestured to them all like they were animals begging him for food. "That sickening little display of gooey-mushy friendship was proof enough. You're capable of teamwork. Great teamwork. It's a real drag," Nanami's face pinched at the familiar phrase, "but my hands are tied. You…pass." He gave them an unfeeling thumbs-up.

Inari whooped and jumped about in the Uzumaki spirit. Sho crossed his arms and smiled to himself, too cool to react in such a manner. Nanami had to keep herself from hugging their smelly new teacher. "We won't let you down, Murai-sensei!"

Murai sucked tobacco from his cigarette. "I doubt that."

* * *

Naruto was about to walk to Neji's and Tenten's front door when he heard a frustrated howl. Hoshu was writhing on the porch, having finally lost his patience.

"What the heck! I've been sitting here all day and I haven't made any chakra! What's wrong with me?" he groaned.

The Seventh Hokage frowned, torn. He knew he should encourage the teen but somehow he felt uncomfortable with the thought of having a one-on-one with Hoshu. He was Naruto's son. Illegitimate, but still his son. Naruto couldn't help but to feel dirty knowing he'd been unfaithful to Hinata - even if this occurrence had happened before he'd even started seeing her. Hoshu didn't seem too happy with him, either. Naruto squinted at his predicament.

_Damn it, Shion…._ Naruto sighed and approached the teen. "Uh, hey." Hoshu sat up with a start. Then he slouched.

"What is it?"

Naruto sat on the edge of the porch that wrapped around the house. "I…came by to see how you were doing," he admitted.

Hoshu scoffed. "Don't go starting that. I told you, I don't care if you accept me or not."

His father frowned childishly. "You sound just like Shion."

They sat still and silent for a few minutes. After a while Hoshu wiped his brow and sat next to Naruto, and then they were silent some more. The warm sun cast the Hyuga clan's miniature village in a cognac glow.

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. "Can't make chakra, huh?"

"I've almost got it," Hoshu snapped. That rushed defense betrayed him - even Naruto could tell that the young priest was losing hope.

"If you…showed me what you were doing…maybe I could give you a few pointers?" The Hokage tried to make the suggestion aloof but he eyed Hoshu's face for a sign of compliance.

"…Okay." Hoshu turned his body towards Naruto and crossed his legs.

"Uh…what are you doing?" his father asked.

Hoshu didn't open his eyes. "Meditating."

WHAP!

"_There's_ your problem!"

"Ow! Why'd you hit me?" Hoshu yelled.

Naruto shook his head. "No wonder you're not getting chakra. Meditating doesn't do crap! Well, it works with Sage chakra…but you need normal chakra first, and that sissy stuff won't- Ow! Why'd you hit me?"

"Meditation is not sissy."

"Ugh, my point is, blocking out the world won't do you any good. As a ninja you constantly have to be on the move, or you're dead. Pretending to be 'one with nature' will get you killed; besides that, no chakra comes out of it."

"But if meditating doesn't work - how else do you fuse physical and mental energy?"

Naruto stopped, staring at his son with his face scrunched in bewilderment. "Do what now?"

"You know, chakra is made by combining physical and mental energy," the teen said, clapping his hands together. Again, the look of understanding didn't even glimmer before it drowned in the dull ocean of the Hokage's eyes.

"…I don't know anything about that."

"How!"

"Look, maybe you're over-thinking it. I don't know how the hell chakra's made and I can use it just fine. All I ever did to start up my chakra was fold my hands and ask for it."

"You…_ask_ for chakra."

Naruto clasped his hands, index and middle fingers standing straight up. "Yup. Just close your eyes and say 'give me chakra'."

Skeptical, but knowing that he wasn't exactly an expert himself, Hoshu copied his father. "Erm…Give me chakra…"

"More feeling, have more authority."

"Give me chakra."

"Throw in a 'please'."

"_Please_ give me chakra."

"Now jump three times and bark like a dog."

Hoshu punched the Hokage in the cheek. "I knew it! You're just making fun of me!"

Naruto grinned under his hand as he rubbed his face. "Okay, in all seriousness now. Concentrate really hard, but don't meditate."

The teen scowled suspiciously at Naruto as he complied, folding his hands again. He relaxed his shoulders and breathed out. He focused on the phrase, pleading, and the more he focused, the more he became desperate for it to work. _Give me chakra…._

A shift in the air made Naruto's eyes widen. "Hey, you did it. It actually worked!"

Hoshu opened his eyes and looked at his hands. Nothing was different that he could see, but he felt a trembling sensation just beneath his skin, a warm sensation. It was alien and unfamiliar, but it wasn't anything terrible. He realized that his fatigue was evaporating as the feeling grew stronger.

"This is chakra?" He was breathless with awe.

"It's the basis for every ninja technique you'll ever learn," Naruto said. "Channeling it is second nature, once your chakra line is open. It's forming it to create ninjutsu that's the tough part. But for now, you only need to learn things like transformation and substitution, basic things. Train all week, and you'll be a genin."

"You…you really believe that?" Naruto blinked as if it was a silly question.

"Well, yeah. You said you'd do it."

Hoshu shifted uncomfortably, suddenly not able to look at Naruto. "Yes, but nobody believes that. I fail at everything. Me being all pumped up is just something to distract me. It's hopeless, right? I can't do anything but lose." Naruto patted his shoulder encouragingly.

"That's because everybody tells you you're going to lose. Quit listening to the peanut gallery and believe in yourself, and you can accomplish whatever you want. Look at me - I was the annoying brat who kept screaming 'I'm gonna be Hokage' in everybody's face, and then got beat up for it. And look where I am now." He cackled, conniving. "I sure showed those jerks!"

"Believing in myself…it's hard when no one else does. I'm not saying you should believe in me just because I said that, either," Hoshu said quickly, embarrassed.

Naruto laughed quietly and tousled Hoshu's light blond spikes. "I _want_ to believe in you, Hoshu. You and I aren't that different, really. And your mom…if you're anything like her, you deserve to have someone supporting you. You'll become a great ninja by this time next year. I know you will."

Hoshu's pink eyes rounded at his grinning father. The longer he stared, the more he realized that this new warmth in his chest and face was not because of his chakra.

"Hush-ooh!" Something small launched itself onto Hoshu's back, grabbing his patched-up face. "Hush-ooh, mush-ooh!"

Tenten rushed out with a pair of footie pajamas in her hand. She watched her daughter pull on Hoshu's ponytail with exasperation. "Chinatsu, don't make people carry you so you can get away. There's no escape."

Chinatsu glanced back at her mother and pouted, eyes half-lidded. "Daddy."

"No, Daddy's not going to let you stay up, either." Tenten noticed Naruto's unmistakable grin and straightened a little. "What are you doing here? Aren't you busy?"

"I needed a breather," he said, standing up to stretch. He looked down at Hoshu and grinned again, winking. "Keep it up, okay?"

Hoshu watched the back of Naruto's modern red and white Hokage trench coat until it vanished around the corner. He blinked, Chinatsu's chin on his scalp to watch with him. "Is that guy always so…?"

"Ridiculous? Yes." Tenten plucked Chinatsu from the teen. "But when you catch him off-guard, he's a pretty great Hokage. Come on in, you must be starving. Chinatsu, I swear, if you bite me one more time…"

* * *

_**I love Inari. He, Hoshu, and Botan are my favorites at the moment.**_

_**I also love the idea of Neji thinking every child is inept compared to his three-year-old.**_

_**I also-also love Hoshu's and Naruto's slow-growing relationship.**_

_**I love a lot of things.**_

_**Know who else I love?**_

_**Duesal10 (Good friend very nice wonderful person who favorited and followed this QwQ), Infamous Storm (Another nice person oh my goodness also a comedy master I look up to who added this to his favorites and alerts **__**OoO), marktheman501 (Thank you for favoriting~!), El Frijolero (Your comment made me laugh and don't worry you're not the only one who thinks this I've gotten other messages saying so and thank you for following this! XD), and raiton123 (You favorited AND followed it!), jv2en3 (And you!), slatedfox (You followed this story~!), Zio Charmed (Another follower~!), and UNTensaZangetsu (Followed and favorited, ahhh~!)**_

_**I hope you stick with me in the future. ;u; I'm really sick right now, but I figured I should probably hook you guys up and keep my schedule. Sunday's a religious day to me, and this story is about a holy man, right? *not clever at all; someone throw rocks at this girl =v=;;;* So, next chapter will be posted next Sunday! Love each other, alright? :D**_


	4. Hoshu-Shika-Who?

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Oh my goodness. OAO I've gotten so much support from that last chapter! (Seven reviews in one night - somebody hold me. TT~TT) I'm really happy people are putting their faith in this; it's a story that's been with me since I saw the first Shippuden movie, and has grown and twisted into what I think is a beautiful and interesting shape. (This is my opinion, though. =v=;;)**_

_**Happy Sunday, though! This week went by so fast. O_O; I hope you enjoyed it.**_

_**Today we're going to learn a bit more about...Murai-sensei. =~= (He scares me.) Then, Hoshu gets to take the genin test! I wonder how he'll fair? Who will his teammates be? Will they get along? Do these shoes match this blouse? Don't ask me - read on and find out! (^o^)/**_

* * *

"Ow ow ow ow ow." Naoki complained loudly after each step towards the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair. "Ow." Sat in it. "Ow." Slammed his head into the table. "OW." His twin munched on eggs and french toast as he watched Naoki's performance.

"Still sore?"

Naoki sat up, a red mark on his forehead. "Still? _Still_? I've been sore all week! That Bushy-Brow-sensei is trying to murder me."

"How?"

"The first day, we ran around the village for hours. The second, we did curl-ups from dawn till dusk. Kicking dummies, punching dummies, head-butting dummies - I'm starting to see the stupid things in my dreams! And jumping rope. _Jumping rope_, Naoto."

"You look thinner." Naoki scowled at his twin.

"No, I look gaunt. Underfed. Starved. Anyway, why aren't you hurting like hell? Haven't you been training?"

Naoto shoved a few slices of bacon into his chubby, swirl-tattooed cheeks. "Mm-mm. I've been on missions all week."

"Missions?" Naoki gaped at the gentle boy. "As in 'I just pummeled a whole group of rogue ninja' missions?"

"Of course not. We only just became genin. Bo-sensei said we should start out slow and do missions like cleaning up the river and walking Kakashi-sensei's dogs. Although, that one turned out to be a chore he'd given Bo-sensei, but she paid us in the end. We get a lot of money doing little things like that."

Naoki groaned, poking a fried egg that was meant for him but finding no desire for it. He'd just throw it up in an hour once he started training. "Seriously, you got off lucky. I'd trade teams with you any day."

As he spooned another clump of sweet oatmeal into his mouth, Naoto thought about his team. Kumamichi was very vulgar, and maybe a bit crazy, but Naoto found himself liking the half-feral boy and his mild puppy. Botan was pretty, of course, but she was also cheerful and encouraging. Megumi had quickly gone from someone he feared to someone he feared _and_ admired for her strength and determination. Finally, he smiled at his twin. "Trust me, you don't want anything to do with my team."

"NAOKIII!" Before the perturbed boy could ask Naoto how that could be possible, his name was roared from outside, and he sat petrified in horror. "Come, my student! There is much training to be had on this glorious, passionate day!"

Naoki glared at his brother, who smiled apologetically. "The same to you." He hurried into a cupboard to hide himself. A few seconds later, Mamoru leaped through the window, Subaru content with crouching in the sill. The pink-haired boy looked about, not seeming to notice a surprised Naoto. Then Mamoru made a calm beeline for the cupboard. "WHAT! How the- wha-?"

"I sensed your chakra. And your scarf was sticking out."

"This is so stupid," Subaru murmured, launching backwards.

"N-No wait. Mamoru, put me down! Naoto, don't let him take me, NAOTOOO!" his twin cried as Mamoru jumped out the window with Naoki over his shoulder.

Naoto drank his milk to hide his innocent snicker. "Have fun, big brother."

"Naoto?" Ino came into the kitchen, then, holding her garden shears. "Your team came to pick you up. Where's Naoki?"

"He left already. Bye, Mom. I love you." Naoto kissed her cheek and hurried to greet his new best friends.

**Hoshu-Shika-Who?**

Iruka wiped his face as he looked at the papers on his desk. They were from second-year students, and the subject was strategy. It seemed that the longer he taught at the academy, the less children instinctively knew. Grades were dropping lower and lower. He picked up a particular paper with disdain.

Lots was written on it, but indiscriminately and in sloppy script. The ideas seemed to be everywhere, and from what Iruka could make of them, they weren't very good ideas. Loose tactics, fuzzy technicalities, nothing stating what the other three teammates would be doing. Finally, Iruka looked up at the name written in big, fat letters: Kotone Uzumaki. _Inari straightened out early, and Megumi was perfect from the beginning. I think Naruto's finally shining through in his children._ Iruka remembered the good qualities that had come out of his former student because of it and smiled fondly.

"Um…Sensei?"

"N-Naruto! What have I told you about sneaking up on m-!" Iruka whirled to face the person who'd startled him and stopped. "O-…Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you were someone…never mind. What can I do for you?"

Hoshu straightened his shoulders and held himself with a solemn air, mimicking the regal look Shion always had in the presence of company. "I've come to take the genin test, Sensei."

"So you're the teenage priest from the Land of Ogres." Iruka looked him over briefly from his bare feet to the square bandages on either of his cheeks. "You want to become genin without going through academy. You _know_ it usually takes an average of three years of training before you can consider yourself ready for genin level, right?"

"Y-Yes, Sensei. I just…. I've trained physically since I was young. All I really needed to learn was chakra control."

"And you've done that in a week?" Iruka asked, doubtful.

"I sure did," Hoshu laughed. The graying chunin blinked at a case of de javu nagging in the back of his mind.

Iruka cleared his throat. "All right. The first of you three taking the test is already attempting it in the other room. Why don't you have a seat and wait? It shouldn't be more than ten minutes."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Iruka; my name's Iruka."

Hoshu grinned. "Yes, Iruka-sensei." Again, the chunin felt like he'd heard someone like Hoshu before.

It wasn't but a few minutes later after Hoshu had been sitting, poised and straight-backed, when another teen entered the classroom. His black hair stuck straight up in a ponytail, and a green metal rectangle was strapped across his back. "Hey, Iruka-sensei."

"Shikatsuro. You really think you're ready for this?" Iruka asked, quirking a brow.

"Ha! Just watch, old man," Shikatsuro growled. He chose the opposite side of the classroom from Hoshu, who had gotten up to greet what he supposed would be his first teammate. The blond teen frowned a little and sat back, feeling awkward. Shikatsuro leaned back for a short nap and didn't acknowledge his existence.

A chunin poked his head into the classroom. "Who's next?" Shikatsuro didn't stir.

"Er, I am," Hoshu said, standing. He waved at Iruka as he followed the other chunin into the hall. He was led into another classroom where three people sat. There was a man with his headband drooped over his left eye, dull gray streaking the silver in his lopsided hairdo. A woman with large breasts and loose blonde twin tails was also present. And sandwiched between them was Naruto himself. He grinned as Hoshu froze at the sight of him.

"Let's see what you've done in a week's time, Hoshu."

* * *

Inari made several handsigns. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four Inaris popped into existence and darted at Sho. The brown-haired boy held up his hand in the Hyuga combat style, the veins around his eyes swelling. The crowd of blonds attacked Sho all at once, but Sho was proving to be a taijutsu master. With just the press of his fingers, two clones exploded.

Nanami sat with her knees drawn up a little ways away. She had lost against Sho, which wasn't surprising, but this was their first week of genin level completed. And in that time, what had they accomplished?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_We haven't learned anything new, we haven't been on missions, and we haven't had any real training. _Nanami sighed heavily and curled up in a ball. _Murai-sensei disappears for a week, and we have to make due scheduling sparring sessions on our own. Where the heck is that smelly old man?_

Suddenly, Sho stopped in the middle of the match. "Enough." Inari veered a hard right with his punch so he wouldn't hit his teammate, who didn't even flinch, and Inari was sent toppling from the force of his own swing. "We've been wasting our time long enough. We have to find Murai."

"I asked Dad, but Murai-sensei hasn't been called out on missions. He should still be in the village," Inari said as he sat up from the grass.

Nanami stood up and dusted off the back of her pants. "If we could just figure out where he lives, then maybe we could track him down?"

Sho puzzled it out. "I've used my Byakugan countless times. He doesn't seem to be anywhere in the village. Let's physically scout distinct areas, though, and report back here in an hour. Ask around for him. If we don't have some sort of jonin teacher soon, we'll be even more behind than the other genin. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Nanami and Inari said in stereo. The three of them blurred and went towards different directions to find their MIA sensei.

Inari checked each house in his area door to door, describing Murai to passersby and asking if they'd seen him around. None had. He made sure that their sensei hadn't been in the hospital all this time, but his worry was settled when no such person had been admitted. Still, it was unnerving that no one had even heard of a man named Nichiren Murai.

Sho was having similar luck, though he searched each house individually with Byakugan. He'd even chanced a peek into the infamous Forest of Death, the 44th training ground and one that had been used many a time in the Chunin Exams. No greasy jonin in there. He leaped from roof to roof, scouring the village with growing irritation.

Nanami combed the village on foot, weaving through the streets and poking her head into every shop, hoping Murai would be purchasing something there. Everyone she asked had never heard of their sensei. She stopped after almost an hour to rest, sitting at Ichiraku's with her back to the counter.

She groaned. "Where could he have gone? It'd be just our luck that he'd just been a genjutsu this entire time. We haven't seen him since we were accepted, so where is that lazy lug?"

"You want anything?" Nanami turned to find an attractive teenager behind the counter. She'd never seen him there before. He must have been new. She felt her face burn in the presence of this handsome young man.

"Oh, n-no, I was just taking a rest, thank you." Nanami turned back to the crowd if only to hide her blush. _I should get back to the others and call it a day. It's obvious we won't be finding Murai-sensei anytime soon. Maybe we could have Lord Hokage send a search team for him?_

"If you're not gonna order anything, then beat it," the teenager said. Nanami turned back to give him a look for suddenly being so rude-

That voice. That lazy manner of speech. Nanami's green eyes widened at the orange-haired teenager, who stared at her flatly.

"Mu…M…Murai-sensei!"

* * *

Hoshu looked up when Iruka walked in, they being the only people in the classroom. Hoshu had been sent there after his assessment without any indication of how he'd done. He was ready for some answers.

Iruka smiled. "Well well, congratulations. You and the other two actually passed."

The blond teen stopped halfway from getting up. He stared at Iruka, eyes wide. His jaw moved mechanically to make words but they didn't carry. Finally, he remembered to breathe. "I…."

"Don't be too excited - the judges weren't overly impressed with your skills," the chunin said. "Your grade is the lowest of your new teammates, who were average at best. What really pushed you into passing was Lord Hokage's encouragement of you to Former Lady Fifth and Kakashi-sensei. He really seemed to want to pass you. So the other two had no choice or, quite frankly, Lord Hokage wouldn't have shut u-"

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Hoshu flung himself onto the chunin and embraced him tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

Iruka turned blue. "Uh…Hoshu…my lungs have no oxygen…."

Hoshu released Iruka, who wobbled from the sudden lack of support. The teen clenched his fists with eyes like pink fire. "I'm a shinobi; I actually made it to shinobi level!"

"H-Hoshu, I just told you that your skills aren't that great." Iruka blinked when Hoshu just gave him a big grin in return.

"No offense, Iruka-sensei, but I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me."

Iruka flinched, veins forming beneath his forehead protector. "Y-…You arrogant little…!"

"My teammates are waiting for me, right? I'd better go meet them. Thanks again, Iruka-sensei!" Hoshu waved and bolted out of the room.

The chunin sighed, deciding it better to let the subject go than to heighten his blood pressure. Still, the young priest's words replayed themselves in his mind. "Not what me or anyone else thinks, huh? … I swear, he's like a whole other kind of Naruto," Iruka chuckled.

When Hoshu swiped open the classroom door, he saw Shikatsuro and two other teens waiting for him. The first was leaning in a dark corner and wore large sunglasses even though he was inside. The second stood by the teacher's desk, hair jet black, eyes red as candied apples, and skin as pale as porcelain. If not for his lack of feminine assets, Hoshu would have mistaken him for a girl.

The androgynous teen smiled a little as Hoshu walked in and stood straight. "Congratulations on passing. You must be the priest, Hoshu."

"I am," the blond teen nodded, barely containing excitement. His attempt to stay composed like his mother would have insisted on was failing fast.

"My name is Yaso Yuhei. Sitting here is Shikatsuro Nara," he gestured to the napping teen, "and back there is Itsuki Aburame."

Hoshu threw a grin in the dark corner's direction. "It's nice to meet you."

Itsuki's head slowly turned towards Hoshu, and the mere motion locked Hoshu's joints with fear. "…Is it?"

"Y-Yeah…." Itsuki slowly faced the other direction again and said nothing more. Hoshu stared at him with great confusion and unease. "Ah…. Wait a second, the Hokage explained that there would be three genin to the team and one elite ninja to teach us. So…" Hoshu looked about the room for some hidden jonin. "So why are there four of us and no sensei?"

"There isn't. I'm the jonin. From now on, you'll refer to me as 'Yaso-sensei'," Yaso said amicably.

Hoshu blinked. "So…you…." He suddenly let out a peal that jerked Shikatsuro out of his snooze. Hoshu pointed at Yaso. "B-B- You're a jonin? How! You're not any older than we all are!"

"Age doesn't matter when it comes to rank," Yaso said. "Our village's Copycat Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, was chunin rank when he was six and jonin when he was twelve. It all depends on skill."

"That's why Yaso's jonin and us lot are stuck at genin," Shikatsuro grumbled more out of annoyance for his interrupted nap than the statement.

"This whole time, I thought it was age that decided rank," Hoshu said with wonder.

"While one's age is irrelevant, the maturity and natural merit is that which divides the elite from the standard shinobi…" Itsuki muttered from his corner. Hoshu spared a moment to be thoroughly freaked out by the dark teen's presence.

_So if a six-year-old can be an elite shinobi, then…maybe I can advance just as quickly. _Hoshu felt a thrill at the thought. _With the chakra potential the healer said I had, I could become a ninja twice as fast as normal, couldn't I?_

"This kind of graduation is a little unorthodox, as you can probably tell," Yaso said, suddenly addressing them all, arms behind his back in a formal manner. "That doesn't mean that the other genin that passed before you are better. It also doesn't mean that you'll be given leniency. This was a one-in-a-million occurrence and you three should be thankful for. Today, you three will prove to me that you are truly worthy of being genin and working together. In an hour's time I expect you to be at the ninth training ground. Bring your weapons, and be prepared for battle."

* * *

Nanami's green eyes were glued to Murai as he served customers with a grumpy frown. That scowl and gruff voice definitely belonged to her sensei, but the rest of him said otherwise. He was clean-shaven; his hair was cut, washed, and vaguely styled into soft spikes. His skin wasn't greasy or caked with grime. The only onion Nanami smelled came from the soup he was serving. A pain bloomed in Nanami's temple as she tried to piece together what exactly had happened to her sensei.

"I told you already; order something or hit the road," Murai snapped, handing a bowl to an elderly man.

She snapped out of it, remembering her initial purpose. "We've been looking everywhere for you, Murai-sensei! You haven't showed up once to train us. You're supposed to be teaching us the shinobi arts, and here you are making ramen? What's going on, sensei?"

"None of your business."

"It is when you aren't doing your job," Nanami pointed out.

Murai stopped chopping vegetables and put his hands on either side of the counter, leaning towards Nanami so abruptly she nearly fell backwards. "Listen, I don't have to take this crap from you. All my life women have been breathing down my neck and telling me what to do and what not to do, so I don't need my new flat-chested student on my back either. So go ask your dad to train you or something. I'm busy."

Nanami flushed bright pink, but Murai went right back to preparing ramen. "Flat-ch- That's sexual harassment. I won't sit here and-" Her words got stuck in her throat as she recalled something. "My dad…. Last time, you said 'it's a drag', just like he would've. How do you know my dad?"

He poured broth into a bowl. "He was my teacher back when I was a genin." The blonde girl crashed out of her stool and Murai glared down at her. "Finally leaving?"

"But you couldn't have been!" Nanami gasped, springing back to her feet. "I remember - Dad taught three kids. Yaso-sensei, Bo-sensei, and…uh…then there was…."

Murai reached over and pulled up Nanami's ring finger so that she held up three digits. "Murai-sensei."

She swiped her hand away. "No!"

"It's so touching you don't remember me. After all the times I've been over to your house with Yuhei and Mitarashi, and you can't even recall seeing me."

"You weren't with them. It was another guy. He was fun and nice, and he brought me snacks when I was little," Nanami insisted.

Murai scoffed. "Getting you to say thank you was like pulling teeth. You were a really impolite little brat. Not much has changed, apparently."

"You and that guy are two different people. There's no way you could be that nice."

He said nothing, his back to her as he wiped up the stove. Nanami rested her chin on her fist, scrunching up her brow as she tried to remember the real name of her father's third student. The old man, the last customer, said thank you for his meal and left the money next to his bowl. The seats were now empty save for Nanami.

"…Akage."

Nanami looked up, eyes round as that insignificant nickname sent her crashing into a reverie. She'd been around six or seven at the time, back when her father was spending more and more time with his genin rather than his children. She'd gotten jealous. Once, when Shikamaru had taken the genin to his house, she'd intercepted one of them as he'd been wandering about the house.

"_You're not going to take my daddy away from me," Nanami declared to the boy. He was maybe ten with big brown eyes and hair like orange fire. He frowned down at her._

"_What's that mean?"_

_Nanami stamped her foot. "You and those other two are taking all of daddy's time, and he won't play with me or Shikatsuro anymore! You aren't his kids! Butt out and leave my daddy alone!"_

_The boy studied her a moment, then crossed his arms. "No."_

_Eyes brimming with tears, Nanami screeched and ran at him. He grabbed her arm and spun her away, sending her tumbling to the floor. She curled up there and sniffed, tears flowing freely as she glared at the floor. The boy knelt beside her. "You really think I'm taking the place of you? If you do, then you're stupid. Sensei loves you and your brother more than anything. How do you think a no-talent chump like me can take the place of his 'little angel'?"_

_Nanami blinked up at the boy, still trying to scowl. "Who are you, anyway?"_

_The boy raised an eyebrow. "Akage. What's it to you?"_

"_That's a silly name."_

"_It is silly. That's why Sensei can't love me more than you. You've got a really pretty name - Nanami. Having a pretty name means you'll be pretty, and have a pretty life. Having a silly name like Akage means you can't take the place of anyone, no matter how hard you tried. Okay?"_

_Nanami sat up and wiped her tears. "…Okay."_

"_Come on. Let's go find your dad." Akage took her hand and led her down the hall._

As the memory ended, Nanami found Murai leaning against the stove, arms crossed, looking at her. His brow was quirked. "You didn't honestly believe that someone could be named 'Redhead', did you?"

"Nanami." Inari and Sho jogged up to the ramen bar. Inari saw Murai and gasped.

"Murai-sensei!"

Murai bowed exaggeratedly with a ladle, as emotionless and dull as ever. "Congratulations on finding me."

"That wasn't a test," Sho said.

"No, it wasn't. I just needed to earn my daily bread. Shinobi missions these days don't quite cut it anymore in terms of payment." Murai removed the apron from his body and shut down the shop, stretching as he walked out into the street. "Better late than never, I guess - we'll train for the rest of the day and pick up more tomorrow."

"But it's almost sunset." Inari flinched as Murai flicked him in the nose.

"Hope you can see in the dark, Mr. Courtesy," the jonin said, monotone. He screwed a cigarette into his lips and lit it as he walked away.

Sho looked back as Inari followed their sensei. "Nanami? Aren't you coming?"

The blonde girl blinked. She'd been following Murai with her eyes the whole time since she'd recalled him from her childhood. Her cheeks burned red as she noticed Sho waiting for her. "Y-Yeah! I'm coming, I'm coming!" she stuttered, hurrying out of the stool.

As soon as Sho and Nanami were on their way, Murai glanced back, clicking his tongue. "Still annoying…." He leaped straight up to travel by rooftop.

Inari yelped. "W-Wait, Murai-sensei!" He bolted after the jonin, Sho and Nanami following suit.

* * *

Hoshu leaned over to look down from the edge of a large cliff. He was a little outside of Konoha, on the ribbon of land that broke dense forest from the cliff. From his windy perch, he could see the whole village. He looked at the blazing orange sky with great appreciation for nature, thanks to his upbringing.

"You're the first one here?" Hoshu looked behind him to find Yaso making his way out of the trees. The jonin smiled a little. "I expected the other two to beat you here, since they both knew right away where it was."

"It wasn't that hard to find. I just listened and the wind led me here," Hoshu said simply. He turned back towards the setting sun without seeing Yaso's confused expression.

"Priests have their ways, I suppose…."

In a few minutes, the other two had gathered. Shikatsuro was the last to show, looking like he'd been napping the whole time. Itsuki had appeared next to Hoshu so silently that the blond teen had almost careened off the cliff side from fright. Now, Yaso stood before the genin, expression authoritative.

"Now that you're genin, it's time I evaluated your true skills. Showing substitution and things like that to people in a safe room in a controlled environment is fine, but a true ninja has to apply them in the field. They have to make decisions on a second's notice, and those decisions, no matter how trivial or minute, could make the difference of a mission's success or failure. Or, in worse cases, whether you live or die. I've set up a scenario in which you three will have to act upon. Depending on your aptness to react and your skills in quick-thinking, I'll decide whether or not you're truly ready for the title genin."

Hoshu's face had gone blank. Shikatsuro leaned on his fan for a nap while Itsuki was several yards off admiring a spider web.

Yaso clenched his teeth, but tried to turn the gesture into a smile. The result was a bit frightening. "I guess I'll just have to show you." He made a handsign before his face. "Release!"

Suddenly, a chunk of the trees melted away and the land morphed unexpectedly. Hoshu gasped and scrambled away as it was revealed that he was mere inches away from the real cliff's edge. He bumped into Shikatsuro, who noticed the sudden change and was instantly awake. Even Itsuki was paying attention, Yaso's reflection in his large sunglasses jumping backwards under one particular tree. Yaso pointed upwards, unsmiling.

"The situation is simple - I am your enemy, and I have a hostage. Up there."

Hoshu followed where Yaso's finger indicated to find a little girl tied high in the tree to its trunk, standing against it but seemingly unconscious. Her long dark hair played about her with the wind, along with the short pigtail on the side of her head.

"Your mission," Yaso said, bringing Hoshu's attention back to the jonin, "is to retrieve her from me unharmed and within the hour. I'll use my full force with this battle. The only way to get her back is by defeating me."

Shikatsuro suddenly scoffed. "Right. Game over, 'sensei'. Kotone's the worst hostage you could've picked."

The girl suddenly sprang to wakefulness. "WHAT!" she squeaked, writhing in her bonds. "Like you're any more important than me, dummy!"

"Sure, she's the Hokage's daughter-" Hoshu flinched, turning to glare at nothing. Itsuki tilted his head at the blond teen "-but you've forgotten what everyone in the village knows." Shikatsuro shrugged helplessly. "You hate that girl more than life itself."

Kotone nearly screeched again but the seven-year-old stopped when she felt a presence beside her.

Yaso lowered his arm, undeterred. "You're right. Ms. Kotone really gets on my nerves. So..." In a coil of black smoke, the jonin vanished.

Hoshu looked about frantically. "Where'd he go?"

Kotone squealed with fright and the genin all looked up to see Yaso crouched next to Kotone. She looked at the kunai against her neck with great terror as the jonin smirked down at his team.

"So you'd better retrieve her, before I decide to get rid of the source of my annoyance."

"You wouldn't," Shikatsuro said, but even he doubted his own words.

Yaso sliced the ropes around Kotone and slung her under his arm like a duffel bag, the girl screaming all the while. "The Hokage's daughter has an hour to live, and that hour starts now!"

Hoshu gaped as the jonin leaped backwards into the trees and disappeared. "Wait, he was so calm and collected earlier. Would he really be capable of something like this?" Shikatsuro darted past him, obviously apprehensive.

"I don't think he's kidding. Come on!"

While the blond teen followed Shikatsuro with some difficulty - having to stay on foot while the dark-haired teen took to the trees - Itsuki stood completely still until he was the only one left in the clearing. Then he turned back to the spider web where a black and yellow arachnid sat, waiting for a meal to get caught in its trap. Itsuki poked it gently, making it curl its legs a little.

"Would you care to lend me assistance, little one?"

* * *

**Itsuki's being mysterious~ OoO Sorry for the late update; I just got back from my best friend's vacation house. Spent the whole weekend roasting marshmallows and watching nostalgia movies. So much fun. OuO**

**It's only the fourth chapter, and I already have so much attention from it. TTuTT You guys are great~! Chapter three gained a lot of attention from~**

**Spider-Fox93 (Thanks for following and favoriting! OoO), aspygirlredo (You did too!), InnerMalice (Oh my goodness you guys stahp), phantomblaze00 (Ahhhhh another follower!), Zexs (Favoriterrr~!), ShakePapa (Even though you won't see this, thank you so much for being civil and polite! Not everyone will like my story and you state your opinion very well. Thank you so much. :D), FruitySmell (XD I really like Neji's and Tenten's pairing, and yes, Neji spoils the HECK outta his little girl. X3), El Frijolero (Thanks for understanding! And, Hinata will be none-the-wiser for a while - mostly because Naruto makes sure she's never in the same place as Hoshu. TTuTT He's not being smart.), and TheDoodleStrikesAgain (You favorited it, thankyousomuch QwQ)**

**Again, thank you guys so much for your support and criticism. The next update will come earlier in the day, I promise. Off to watch Ninja Assassin now, and relax to Rain and Lee Joon kickin' butt. =u= Love each other, okay? (^o^)/**


	5. I Will Become a Shinobi!

_**Author's Note:**_

**_It's Sunday again~! Wow, the weeks are flying by. O_O School will be starting (though I'm not even sure if I'll be attending this semester with my big brother the way he is now) which means stress will start to effect everyone, and when that happens I hope you all get plenty of sleep and eat well and find the time to do things that you like to do between papers and studying. :D High school's just no fun, man. College is worse. :'''D_**

**_Mm, and if you didn't know, on my profile is a poll where you get to choose two of your favorite characters in "My Priest, My Son?"! I'll post a poll like that probably every five chapters, just to see how everyone's opinions change and develop. I definitely have my favorites, and I'm the author. =w=;; Check out the poll once you finish this chapter! Hoshu's out doing shinobi things for the very first time. How will he fair? OoO_**

* * *

In the dark forests of Konoha, nightly sounds had overtaken those of the day. In only several minutes, the world of dappled light and vibrant green colors of live foliage had turned dark, unfamiliar, and ominous. Carnivores lurked for prey where passive creatures had walked not half an hour before. Coincidentally, something else had happened ten minutes earlier. One predator had started a game with some potential pack members. The prize was a certain harmless creature - though, one pending predator didn't consider this prize by any means worth the trouble.

**I Will Become a Shinobi!**

Hoshu darted amongst the foliage with light feet. Back in the Land of Ogres, he'd been praised for his speed. He could outrun anyone his age and nearly half the castle guardsmen who had trained him. Now, however, he found these skills, once valued in his homeland, completely useless in Konoha's forests.

The blond teen kept his eyes on the branches several meters ahead of him, seeing flashes of human shapes in the leaves, hearing metal clang against metal. His lungs burned. _Is this even humanly possible? _Hoshu's mother, the priestess Lady Shion, had traveled with shinobi once. She'd told him how a kunoichi - a female ninja - had carried her at great speeds for vast distances, never slowing, and staying seemingly tireless. Hoshu hadn't realized just how true these observations had been until now.

Presently, metal glimmered before him, and Hoshu reached out and caught the object as it nearly flew by. His pace hadn't slowed but the fire in his legs was quickly transforming into numbing pain. He looked at the throwing star he'd grabbed, absently admiring its sleek sheen.

A rock grabbed Hoshu's foot, then. Stumbling, he chucked the shuriken into the trees where he thought he'd seen Yaso's green flak vest. Then Hoshu fell face-first into the leaf litter.

As he slowly sat up to stifle the pain in his limbs, Hoshu noticed Shikatsuro drop down from the trees in front of him with his back facing the teenage priest. Shikatsuro drove his metal fan into the dirt with unnecessary force.

"Dammit! The sun's gone. I can't use Shadow Possession like this. Yaso knew it and dragged me in here. I should've seen that coming. If he wasn't so damned quick…."

Hoshu was still panting from his dead-sprint. "You…should talk," he gasped.

Shikatsuro ignored him completely and rubbed his chin. "If it's this dark out, it'll be difficult to track him. Even the brat's screaming has stopped." Suddenly, he looked all around him like he'd lost something. "Hey, where'd Itsuki go? I need some back-up, damn it all. Some team effort when I'm the only one doing any work."

"Hey," Hoshu snapped, clambering to his feet. His legs still felt like rubber but he managed to keep his footing as he glared at Shikatsuro. "I'm here, too, y'know. Let's come up with a plan and-"

"Please. You couldn't even keep up. What kind of shinobi can't do a simple thing like run without collapsing from exhaustion? I'm better off with that creepy Itsuki," Shikatsuro said, waving the idea off.

"I would have been better help if you hadn't just run off like that," Hoshu insisted. The dark-haired teenager glowered at him.

"If I'd waited for you, I'd have lost Yaso, moron."

"You lost him anyway!"

"Only because he tricked me! If I'd had some real help-"

"I _did_ help."

Shikatsuro threw up his hands in a mocking gesture. "Ooh, sorry. Holier-Than-Thou tossed a throwing star before he fell on his divine ass."

"I could've done more if we'd done this _together_. Isn't that why we're on a team? Running off on your own is the move of an impulsive, stupid child!" This made Shikatsuro twitch and bare his teeth in anger.

"At least I was _doing_ something!" he bellowed. Hoshu drew back, anger forgotten because of the sudden fear he felt towards Shikatsuro's livid tone. Shikatsuro muttered many a curse, yanking his fan from the earth and strapping it to his back. The blond teen lowered his arms from a defensive pose.

"Where are you going now?"

Shikatsuro waved without looking back. "To pick up on Yaso's trail. You find Itsuki. Try anyplace damp, dark, and scary," he hollered. Then Shikatsuro leaped into the trees and vanished.

Hoshu wiped his face of sweat and sat beneath a tree to catch his breath, which still hadn't slowed, nor had his heartbeat. _Ninja really are something. Shikatsuro hasn't even broken a sweat. How is that possible?_ Ten minutes had passed already. Time was running out and the Hokage's daughter was….

He slouched. The Hokage's daughter. Just how many children did Naruto have? Although the number of his offspring hadn't triggered something in Hoshu - it was the simple fact that he had any others at all. The blond teenager had told himself not to worry about it. It wasn't his concern if Naruto had other children, and yet…. Despite his vows to remain apathetic, Hoshu couldn't help but feel a detached rage. Why could that little girl grow up with Naruto, with her father, but Hoshu couldn't? It just wasn't fair.

A high, shrill sound cut through the air, and Hoshu just had time to realize that it was his flute when he felt the pulling sensation. Once again, though, he found himself being sucked into his body rather than out.

Panicked, Hoshu clawed the air in spirit form, desperate to escape. He didn't want to face that evil aura again. He didn't want to drown in that red hatred. It was suffocating and he had no idea if this would be the last time he would ever be conscious again. Somehow, he managed to wrench himself out of the abhorrent, stifling hold.

He didn't return to consciousness. Instead, he shot forward, coming free from his body, and careened through the trees faster than he'd ever traveled even by spirit before. He even passed Shikatsuro, who was still traversing through the trees above Hoshu's consciousness. Having turned to watch the genin for the split second that he was visible, Hoshu turned back to the direction he was flying only to abruptly halt.

Right below him, hugging a steep drop to water, was Yaso. Kotone was still under his arm and she was thrashing in his grasp.

"Yaso-sensei! Just wait until I tell Daddy what you're up to! You are _so_ d-"

Yaso clasped his hand on her mouth. It didn't stop her rant, but muffled it, so it helped a little. "Shut up, you little-" He stopped himself before he could say something unsightly. "I'm not up to anything. Lord Hokage, you, and myself discussed this already - this is just a scenario. I'm just trying to make it seem as realistic as possible. Remember?"

Kotone's light blue eyes rounded as realization hit her, and she nodded under Yaso's hand. He blew a sigh of relief before glancing about, red eyes narrow. He fingered a small cut on his shoulder absently where Hoshu's shuriken had surprised him. "Those genjutsu traps will slow them down. It'll take a lot of their time to figure their way out of and around them."

Hoshu was yanked backwards too abruptly. In three seconds flat, he was back in his body. He slammed against the tree trunk as if he'd been physically thrown.

He leaned against the trunk, blinking in his stupor. "He's out to the east. Two hundred…no, three hundred? Three hundred meters…." Hoshu shook his head of stars but it didn't work. "And Shikatsuro's heading right for those traps. How am I going to find Itsuki _and_ warn Shikatsuro with time to spare?"

"The fireflies appear fond of you."

"Waduhfaugh!" Hoshu flailed and toppled into a painful somersault at the sudden voice. Itsuki squatted underneath the tree, having materialized out of nowhere. Hoshu reclined on his elbow, laughing out of tampered nerves. "I-Itsuki! I didn't notice you…."

The quiet teen either didn't acknowledge or hear him. "Normally they spread amongst the air and only come together to mate, but these particular creatures are very drawn to you. They must be attracted to your aura," Itsuki murmured.

Hoshu didn't understand what he meant until he noticed the small round lights reflecting in Itsuki's sunglasses. Blinking insects were floating around Hoshu's head and shoulders. The soft gold light turned his wide pink eyes an orange hue. He touched one, making it shy away slightly.

"I've never used my power outside at night before. I guess I'm more one with nature than I thought," he mused. Then he blinked. "Ah! We don't have time for this. Itsuki, I know where Yaso-sensei is. He said something about genju-something traps, and Shikatsuro's heading right for them. We've got to hurry up and warn him before he gets caught in one."

Itsuki stared at Hoshu, tilting his head. Fireflies were clinging to his dark blue ski cap, which covered his head so completely that Hoshu couldn't tell what his hair color was. "Genjutsu?"

"Y-Yeah, something like that. There were a lot, by the sound of it," Hoshu said.

"I've located the majority. My friends have made a path for us. I was merely suspending my journey to ask if you wanted to follow," Itsuki muttered. He gestured to his left with his index finger. Hoshu looked that way, and he saw a thin, uneven line of little spiders crawling amongst the dry leaves. "They seem to back-track, but their purpose is to avoid patches where genjutsu have been laid as traps."

"Whoa…" Hoshu smiled. "Itsuki, that's perfect! What a handy talent." Itsuki moved as if surprised by the compliment. He ducked his head so even his nose was covered by his tall collar. Hoshu's smile faltered a little. "But - Shikatsuro. He's probably caught in a trap by now."

"Do you wish to rescue him?" Itsuki asked.

Hoshu squinted as he thought it over. "…He's a jerk, but even a jerk doesn't deserve to get ambushed. Besides, we're a team. We should definitely act as a unit," he decided to himself.

Itsuki rose to his feet and offered Hoshu a hand. "Very well, then. We pursue our teammate." Hoshu chuckled, letting Itsuki help him stand.

"I'm not sure how much use I'll be…."

The quiet teenager turned away abruptly, though his voice didn't change from the soft muttering. "You have been a tremendous help already." Hoshu threw a smile at him over his shoulder before running towards the heart of the traps, Itsuki slowing his pace considerably so he could sprint behind his blond teammate.

* * *

Inari wailed as he met the ground in a more intimate way than he ever would have liked.

Murai clapped his hands like he'd just swept up. "I think we're done here." As he spoke, the handful of Inari clones around him burst into clouds and dissipated. A few meters away, Sho and Nanami stood together, having observed the battle. The jonin turned to them. "Training's over for today. I expect you behind the academy tomorrow at exactly five a.m.. Any later, and you're replacing the practice dummy. And tomorrow's lesson? Shuriken practice. I suggest being early."

After Inari had picked himself up from the dirt and grass, Murai smacked him on the cheek, making him flinch. "Work on your stealth, Mr. Courtesy," Murai muttered, walking off with an indifferent wave.

The blond boy frowned, crest-fallen. He went to rub his cheek - Murai had slapped him right on a nasty cut - only to find a bandage there. Inari turned to say thank you, but his sensei was gone.

Sho raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, but he still looked condescending. "Our sensei is unprofessional, but he has skill." When he heard no confirmation or denial, he turned to find that Nanami had also vanished. Unaffected, Sho started for home. _Huh. I forgot to tell her that the man from graduation is living with me,_ he mused with a shrug.

Back in the Nara household, Temari was putting her feet up to snuggle with her husband on the couch. Shikamaru was quiet for a minute, but then he folded down his newspaper.

"You hear that?"

"What?"

"A troublesome woman, about to ask troublesome questions."

The front door banged open, there was a shuffling, and then Nanami flew into the living room. "DAD." She sank her claws into Shikamaru's shirt, but more with the terror of a frightened kitten than a wrathful she-cat. The jonin blew out a sigh.

"I should tell people's fortunes for a living," he muttered.

"Nanami, what's wrong?" Temari asked, blinking at her daughter.

"Dad, you trained three people back in your day, right?" Nanami prompted her father. "There was Yaso Yuhei, Botan Mitarashi, and someone else. Who was the third guy? What was his name?"

Shikamaru quirked a brow. "…You should know, considering Nichiren Murai's your teacher."

"That's not an answer, Dad."

"What do you want from me?"

"Is Nichiren Murai the third genin you used to train?" Nanami stressed through her teeth.

"Yes."

Nanami howled like she was in pain, then bolted up the stairs. The two jonin heard a door slam. Shikamaru smoothed down his shirt and Temari looked between him and the trail of smoke Nanami had left. "What in the world was that about?"

"I dunno," Shikamaru muttered. He flapped his paper back into position and went back to reading.

Temari narrowed her eyes at her husband. Then she grabbed him by the collar and hauled him off the couch with her. Shikamaru groaned. "Temari, come on…." He made no other complaints as Temari dragged him up the stairs to their daughter's bedroom door.

"Nanami, sweetheart, open the door," Temari cooed.

"I don't feel good. I don't think I can go to training tomorrow," came the muffled answer. From the sound of things it was as if Nanami was trying to smother herself.

Both parents being jonin, neither had trouble unlocking the door. Temari sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Nanami's back where she was sprawled, face buried in her pillow. "Sweetie, you know you can tell us what's wrong. Give us a chance. I'm sure that you're overreacting about the whole thing." Shikamaru stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looking bored.

"I thought that, but if I'd said it out loud, you both would have hit me." The twin snake-like glares he received was confirmation of his theory.

Nanami sat up since she'd already uncovered her face to glower at her father. She wasn't crying, but her green eyes were clouded with anxiety. "Back when you were training your genin, Dad, Murai-sensei used to play with me. He was really nice to me in the kiddy sort of way. Well…I don't know how, but I forgot about all of that. It was only five years ago, but he'd totally slipped my mind. But apparently he'd known all along. It was so embarrassing! How am I supposed to face my sensei and learn ninja arts if every time I look at him, I remember all the embarrassing things I've said to him? How, Mom?" she pleaded.

Temari pulled her daughter close, kissing the top of her head. "Oh, honey, that's all? Don't be so worried! You know, I remember when Murai and the others used to come over with your father. Believe me, Murai wasn't nice to you just so he could make fun of you for it now. Don't you fret about it. You can go on training and it'll be just as if you two have a clean slate together."

The blonde girl looked up at her mother. "Really?"

"Really."

"Unless Murai decides you'd be fun to tease," Shikamaru said. He ducked outside from a flying stuffed animal and encyclopedia. "Fine! I'm leaving."

Temari turned back to Nanami, smiling in a maternal way. "You're fine, sweetie. Go to training tomorrow like always, and you'll see."

Nanami sighed. "Okay. You're right. It was a silly thing to worry about." Temari kissed her goodnight and went to turn off the light. "Oh, Mom? Where's Shikatsuro?"

The former Sand jonin smiled mischievously. "Oh, he's busy proving himself to be genin level. To Yaso Sarutobi."

After a second to study her mother's face to make sure this wasn't some practical joke, Nanami shook her head with great sadness. "He's doomed." She slid under the covers and snuggled into bed as Temari turned out the light and shut the door. Images of Nichiren Murai haunted Nanami all throughout the night.

* * *

Shikatsuro cried out at the sharp pain in his head, falling over. He sat up and rubbed his scalp. When he saw his attacker, his tone got even sharper. "You!"

Hoshu held the thick club he'd broken off of a tree, looking at Shikatsuro in wonder. "That's it? It's that easy to get someone out of a genjutsu?" Itsuki peeled off of a wall of darkness to stand beside him, making Shikatsuro's glare lessen and a shiver to pass through him.

"Sometimes. I deduced that since this is only simulation, the genjutsu level wouldn't be strenuous. Therefore, a simple cuff on the head would bring him out of the illusion," he murmured.

"Illusion?" Shikatsuro looked around him, suddenly finding the field he'd been chasing Yaso through to have transformed into dense forest, just like before. "Wait a second, what's going on here?"

"You were just standing here staring at that leaf," Hoshu said, pointing his club at a bright red piece of foliage at their feet. "Itsuki said you were in a genjutsu-thing, and that the best thing to do was-"

"I get it, I get it!" the dark haired teen snapped. He got to his feet, snarling profanities.

Itsuki turned his head to the right. "There is only twenty minutes until our time has ended. We'd best be moving soon. But before this occurs, I suggest a plan be put into place so that this occurrence doesn't repeat itself to further hinder our journey."

Shikatsuro stared at him. "What?"

"Itsuki says we should come up with a plan before we head out, so none of us are caught in another genjutsu-thing," Hoshu translated.

"How'd you get that?"

"It's not that hard to understand."

"Whatever."

Hoshu tossed the club aside, looking between his two teammates. "So…what should we do?"

All three of them lapsed into silence. The crickets serenaded the evening with the original sounds of the night, never changing key, never playing a new note. Somewhere far off, an owl graced the age-old chorus with a single call, but after that, the song remained the same.

Itsuki raised his head a little. "Can one of us use a bow with considerable skill?"

The other two looked at each other before Hoshu raised his hand awkwardly. "I can."

"Then I have a proposal."

* * *

Kotone yawned loudly from under Yaso's arm, the jonin checking his watch. "Five minutes left." He sighed in disappointment. "I really thought they had a chance, too…."

"You must have been itching to have them as your team, huh?" Kotone asked sleepily. Yaso smiled sadly to himself.

"Yes. I suppose I did." In half a second after his statement, his smile was gone. He whipped his head around, red eyes wide. "What?"

"You're mine!" Shikatsuro came dashing out of the foliage alongside the cliff, slinging a kunai knife. Yaso leaned out of the weapon's path and jumped backwards into the air. Shikatsuro pushed off the cliff to follow right on his tail.

Yaso's eyes narrowed as he floated for a moment. _He avoided the genjutsu? No way. He failed genjutsu miserably in the academy. The other two must have caught up with him._

Kotone howled with glee. "Woot! Finally, this is fun!"

As Shikatsuro clashed with Yaso, the jonin with a knife in one hand and the girl in the other, a fleeting shadow passed by in the bushes. Yaso noticed but before he could flee, something very small was tossed into the air. His eyes widened. "A flash bomb!"

"My Shadow Possession works best with a bright light," Shikatsuro said with a grin, kneeling down and making the appropriate handsign.

Yaso bolted into the trees to escape the light-trap. However, as he was darting through the branches, he noticed a dark figure on one knee in one of the branches. The figure was swarming with fireflies and held some kind of weapon. As the person positioned themselves just as Yaso lighted down, too late to change direction, the jonin realized what the weapon was.

Hoshu released the arrow, letting it fly straight towards Yaso. But before it could make impact, it slowed, and then stopped in midair. Yaso frowned at it for an instant, leaping backwards to get away from the arrow as he did so, but there was no use. White silk shot from the clump of spiders on the arrowhead and stuck to Kotone.

She screamed as she was wrenched from Yaso's arm, and the pitch got higher when he sliced the spider silk with a kunai before Hoshu could pull the thread connected to the arrow meant to draw it and Kotone in. Hoshu stared in alarm, unable to react from his perch in the trees. Yaso went to jump down after her when he felt himself impossibly stopped cold.

Shikatsuro knelt several meters behind him, making the sign of the Rat. "Not so fast."

"Ms. Kotone!" Yaso shouted.

Kotone continued to scream, arms pinned by spider silk, until she landed on something soft. Unharmed, blinking tears now stilled, she looked up at the dark sunglasses of the person whose arms she'd been caught in. She smiled. "Itsuki!"

The quiet teen looked up at the three men in the trees, nodding. "Mission complete."

Hoshu heaved a great sigh, leaning back on the trunk. "Thank goodness."

"And not a minute to spare," Shikatsuro added, standing up. Yaso copied him shakily and the genin smirked. "Looks like we pass, Yaso-sensei."

Yaso frowned as he tried to read over what had happened the last four minutes. "There was no flash bomb in the first place. You were just trying to flush me out to where Hoshu was waiting so he could use that arrow to get Ms. Kotone. Itsuki was waiting below, controlling the spiders and acting as a back-up knife man in case you needed one."

Shikatsuro blinked at Yaso. "…" He rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Let's go with that."

"And these fireflies had enough light to let you use Shadow Possession, anyway," Yaso confirmed, looking at the insects that had quietly made their way around himself and Shikatsuro. The shadow connecting them was darker and thicker than normal in the pale light, a telltale sign of the Shadow Possession Jutsu. Yaso glanced back at Hoshu, unable to turn his head. He smiled a little. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"Does that mean we pass?" Hoshu prompted, excitement palpable.

Yaso stood straight, making Shikatsuro's Shadow Possession snap. The Nara boy ogled at the impossibility as the jonin looked at them each in turn. "Shikatsuro Nara, Itsuki Aburame, and Hoshu of the Land of Ogres. As your assigned jonin, it gives me great pleasure to say…." He grinned. "You pass."

"YES!" Hoshu screamed, making everyone turn to him out of surprise. He laughed like he was insane and fell onto his back, kicking his legs. There was a snap and Hoshu's joy blended into an outcry as he fell with an audible thud. Yaso and Shikatsuro dropped down as Hoshu clambered his way out of some bushes. Shikatsuro pointed to the disoriented blond, looking at Yaso.

"Are you sure?"

"Regardless of basic skill, all three of you had a hand in rescuing Ms. Kotone," Yaso explained calmly. "The other two also came back for you even after experiencing your rotten attitude, which is shocking to me." Shikatsuro wilted sourly.

Yaso reached into his tool pouch. "Anyway…" He handed Shikatsuro a Leaf headband, turning the new genin's grouchy expression into a triumphant smirk.

Kotone - still in Itsuki's arms - snatched the headband meant for Itsuki from Yaso. She fastened it messily to her forehead, grinning like a wicked baby fox. Yaso yanked it off of her sternly before giving it to its rightful owner. Kotone stuck her tongue out at the jonin.

Finally, Yaso presented a Leaf headband to Hoshu. "Welcome to Konoha, Lord Priest."

Hoshu took it, pink eyes bright with barely-containable happiness. He managed to bow low to Yaso. "Thank you very much, Yaso-sensei."

"Yeah, cool," Shikatsuro muttered, but his smile was still evident. He tied his headband loosely around his neck so it would rest on his collarbone.

As Itsuki set Kotone down to decide where his headband would go, Hoshu came to stand in front of him. The blond teen smiled widely. "We really couldn't have done this without you, Itsuki. Thanks to your plan, I got one step closer to achieving my dream. That was really great of you," Hoshu said.

Itsuki's voice was tinged with surprise. "You believe so?" Hoshu just grinned warmly.

During that small moment of teammates coming a little bit closer into friendship, one that was precious and essential for genin to have, Kotone looked between Hoshu and Itsuki. Then she put her hands on her hips and shook them. "Itsuki and Hoshu sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The quiet teenager's shoulders stiffened and he whirled his back on Hoshu, who frowned as Kotone did a silly jig that mocked the provocative nature of older females. "Very funny."

She kept going. "First comes _love_~. Then comes _marriage_~. Then comes the baby in the baby carriage!" Yaso smacked her lightly upside the head.

"Stop it. You're being very mean to Itsuki," he said harshly.

Hoshu blinked, not seeing that Itsuki had decided to open his jacket to place his headband. "Oh, so…Itsuki likes men?"

Shikatsuro quirked a brow at him. "Why wouldn't she?"

"It's just I've never-"

… … … … … …

Hoshu raised a limp finger. "'She'?"

"Itsuki, right? Of course she likes men. Did she tell you otherwise?"

When Hoshu reeled to face Itsuki, he felt his heart stop.

The plain brown trench coat was in a heap on the ground, and the person standing beside it was unquestionably female. Though not as curvaceous as Botan Hatake, Itsuki was the slender sort of attractive, willowy and frail in a dark brown, sleeveless kunoichi dress that stopped halfway down her thighs, slitting up one leg. If Hoshu had paid more attention, he would have realized that what he'd thought to be pants tapering out from under Itsuki's trench coat had just been covering her shins, attached just below her knee. The rest of her legs were bare save for a pair of white shorts the same length as her dress. She now tied her headband around her waist, further accenting the delicate incline between her torso and hips.

Itsuki paused at the sudden silence, and looked up to find Hoshu gawking, wide-eyed. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she turned quickly, picking up her jacket and throwing it on. Hoshu whirled away as well, panicked and clearly embarrassed. Itsuki's voice was still as soft as always as she asked, "Is this not proper attire for a shinobi?"

Since Hoshu was too busy getting over his heart attack, Shikatsuro answered for him. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised you walked out of the house with your hands showing." Itsuki stuffed her hands into her pockets, hunched, as if hiding from sight. Shikatsuro sighed. "Never mind."

Hoshu's mind was still in a complete jumble. He tried to go over the brief time he'd known the quiet teenager, but he couldn't remember anything that had indicated that Itsuki was female. _That's even a boy's name!_ He recalled her dainty figure and shoved it out of his mind vehemently.

"Itsuki and Hoshu sittin' in a tree!" Kotone popped up in front of Hoshu, the rhyme making his blush return. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G~" Itsuki looked like she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a hole and die to escape the teasing tune.

Before Kotone could repeat the childhood favorite, Yaso grabbed her by the ear, making her squeal. He nodded to his team. "We'll start training tomorrow morning. Be at the training ground at six. Good evening." He and Kotone blurred out of existence.

After a few seconds to quell his shock, Hoshu turned and forced himself to smile. "Well, I guess I got to know you a little better, Itsu- M-Ms. Itsuki," he corrected himself quickly.

Itsuki nodded mechanically, back still towards him. "Indeed you have," she muttered.

Presently, Shikatsuro let out a boisterous yawn that caused both his teammates to look at him. "I'm exhausted. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going home and crashing." As he walked away, Hoshu noticed Itsuki start to follow him.

He held up his hand. "Ah, Ms. Itsuki… uh, good…good night," he said, scratching the back of his neck and grinning out of unease.

Itsuki hesitated a moment before glancing over her shoulder. "…Sleep well." She hurried into the trees without another look back.

Hoshu waved a little with a helpless smile before looking down at the headband he held. The few fireflies left were creating a soft glimmer on the metal. He fingered the Leaf insignia, grinning to himself. "I'm a shinobi. And tomorrow, I start my training." He couldn't help the giggle that escaped from his mouth. "I'll be home sooner than I thought!"

* * *

A peal of thunder lashed the air like a whip. The clouds high above blocked out the sun and darkened the hillside of tall, dry grasses. Wind blew sharply, heavy with the scent of rain.

Abruptly, a cluster of fir trees exploded - among the bark and smoke debris, two men darted out into the open field. They stopped and turned back to the decimated chunk of forest. The younger one held a mangled arm and the other blinked blood from his eyes. Rain sprinkled the Leaf headband on each of their foreheads.

The rain became steady just as the less-injured shinobi noticed three figures in the clearing smoke.

Both Leaf shinobi bolted into the grasses, putting the rest of their strength into escape. The three shadows leaped up and into the clearing to pursue.

The young shinobi felt a presence running alongside him that wasn't his comrade's, and he lashed out with a kunai only to be met with a much longer blade. He and the cloaked swordsman continued the altercation, but being reduced to only one arm, the young shinobi stood no chance. Just as the cloaked swordsman could drive his black-bladed sword into the crippled shinobi's heart, a thick chain wrapped around his wrists, pulling his hands and sword aside. The cloaked swordsman stood awkwardly, hands trapped. The older shinobi held the other end of the chain in both hands.

On a signal undetectable to the Leaf ninja, another, smaller cloak launched into the air using the swordsman's back as momentum. A thin arm swept in front of the jumper, and amongst the rain, droplets of blood spattered the Leaf ninja's hands and chain. The cloaked jumper made the sign of the Tiger with bloodied fingers.

"AUGH!" The skin on the old shinobi's hands exploded violently and severed the chain. The hooded swordsman shook it off, and then turned back to the crippled shinobi he was about to kill.

The old ninja glared at his hands, the melted blood and meat that was left smoking from the blast.

"Whoops. Can't use ninjutsu, now, can you?" The Leaf shinobi looked up sharply. The blood-wielder was now shielded by a much larger person with a matching cloak. He folded his arms - for his voice was male - showing off bare, muscular biceps. "Well that's just fine. I fight better hand-to-hand."

As the Leaf ninja shuffled into a weak defensive position, suddenly the blood-wielder lashed an arm from under her cloak, spraying the shinobi with blood again. Her companion looked down at he. "Hey! He's mine."

The blood-wielder made the handsign and the fear on the old shinobi's face vanished in an explosion. The deceased fell in a heap, smoking under the rain.

A little ways away, the swordsman sheathed his weapon after disposing of the young shinobi. An irritated growl made him turn his head slightly.

"Damn it, Akane!" the large cloak snarled, grabbing the blood-wielder roughly by the arm. "Every time! I haven't done crap during missions for weeks."

Akane's hood fell back as the large cloak shook the blood-wielder, revealing a girl with shoulder-length brown hair. Her eyes were on the ground and she made no move to escape the abusive treatment.

"Suketsune, enough," the swordsman called out.

"No, fuck you!" Suketsune barked, shoving Akane aside. She stumbled and fell beside the imploded carcass, sitting up instantly but with no expression other than quiet dolor. Suketsune threw back his hood and pointed at the swordsman. "Whenever there's a mission, you automatically assume yourself as leader. Then in your so-called brilliant plans, you and this bitch do everything, and I sit around with shit to do. I'm sick of it! Neither of you think I'm equal to you."

"That's because you aren't. Plans never work well with you factored into them," the swordsman said without malice.

The large man bristled, yellow eyes burning. "Oh, right, because rogue ninja can't do strategy worth dick, huh?"

"You've proven that without needing to cuss about it."

"Look, against your snobby beliefs, we're still a team! On a team, everyone's equal. I can get some fucking work done if you'd just give me an ounce of faith."

The swordsman came over to Akane and gently helped her up. She looked up at him wordlessly, and he wiped away the hair stuck to her face from the rain. "Our mission's done here. Let's head back to the camp," he ordered.

Suketsune gaped, incredulous, as the swordsman draped his arm around Akane's cloaked shoulders and headed back for the trees. Another gust of air whipped across the tall grass and blew the hood off the swordsman's head. The wind jostled his already-tangled hair, which was turning a darker red from the rain.

"Damned Uzumaki…."

* * *

_**New characters. New questions. None of which I am answering at this time. *rubs hands together* This is when the story really starts to pick up~!**_

_**I'm always really shocked when people continuously favorite and follow this story. O_O Shocked and, well, pleased, but that's a given. It really makes me happy to see that I'm making something readers enjoy. TTuTT I'm also very emotional right now because my favorite KPOP group just showed us a teaser for their new video after a half-year hiatus and I'm freaking out like the little fangirl I am aslkjfalsdf TTTTTTuTTTTTT**_

_**These wonderful individuals all favorited and followed and commented and generally made me squirm with happiness this week~**_

_**Twisted-Vampire Knight-Red (I forgot to thank you for your comment in chapter three please forgive me I'm new to shout-outs Q~Q And you favorited and followed and thankthankthank~!), FruitySmell (Gurlll~ You know ittt~ X3), bankai777 (You too oh my goodness I'm a terrible author TT_TT But to answer your inquiry...I have no idea. O.O Maybe we'll find out?), E3-FantasyandReality (You two are so supportive thank you QwQ), Majestic Star Arceus (Most likely only after she figures it out herself like the dummy he is. TTvTT Thank you so much for commenting and following though Iloveyou), Infamous Storm (Another supportive person yes yes good O3O I couldn't live with myself if Hoshu wasn't a **_**little**_** like Naruto. X3), Duesal10 (The twins are so much fun to write. Especially when one of them is put on a team like Lee's. XD Also yes good my marketing strategist approves 8D), anarion87 (Another favoriter someone hold meee QuQ), hitvinw (I'm getting so much love for this story QAQ Followed and favorited aslkdfalsdkjf), serroxley (*whispers* More favoriters I'll die of happiness Q.Q), wolfmoon30 (*cries over amount of favoriters*), Fotsvamp (Another has joined the following! 8D), Kirazin (Thank you so muuuuch TAT), Pure Opposites (*looks behind me* I've got a whole parade! Thank you!), and Blinded in the bolthole (Thank you for following, and I will definitely message you personally about all those questions that you posed. *finger-guns* And I like my own OCs...if I didn't like them wouldn't that be weirder?)**_

_**Next chapter?**_

_**...**_

_**A mission. OwO**_

_**Look forward to it! And don't forget to love each other, okay~?**_


	6. Nottt a Chapter

_**So, I'm going on hiatus for a while...things are happening, in real life, and I probably won't be near a computer for a week or two. Everybody stay happy and healthy and eat well and sleep often and be overall safe.**_

_**Also, love each other. Don't forget that. :D**_


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